Ginga Densetsu Kintora
by WillowwindTheCat
Summary: Everyone knew the stories of the old legends. Now, it is time for a new one: the Legend of Kintora, the daughter of Weed, who is born with strange, golden stripes that glow in the sunlight. Follow this headstrong pup as she is stolen from her home and brought to America. There, she'll learn to be less of a spoiled brat and become a true heroine. But not all is safe in Japan...
1. Prologue

Prologue

* * *

(A/N: This is a story I've been working on for about a year now. I'll be uploading the other 11 chapters already done soon. I just decided, why not add this story to my account. Also, I should mention, this story is not to be taken seriously. I meant to write this as a parody of Yoshi and his works. Kintora herself is basically a Parody Sue. Also, things are gonna get weird. Like, Yoshi-levels of weird. Still, I hope everyone enjoys reading this wacky tale.)

* * *

A hum of excitement buzzed through Fatugo Pass late one spring evening. A female Kai Ken named Heizu had been in labor all day, and after hours of effort, three puppies had been born. Ohu soldiers were gathered at Haizu's den, tails wagging eagerly. These were no ordinary puppies; no, they were the children of the Ohu Leader, Weed. It was only natural for the dogs of Ohu to anticipate the births of the new legends. The silver brindle in question was resting alongside the Kai, his tongue brushing her head-fur.

"Well done," he praised her.

"Thank you, love," Heizu panted in reply, returning the gesture. She then gazed down at the three sleeping bundles. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yeah. Very."

There was a low chuckle. Weed and Heizu looked up to see Moss pushing closer to the front of the crowd in hopes of getting a better look. "Lookie there," he grunted happily. "I'm an uncle."

"Oy!" Kyoushiro's voice rang out from behind the mastiff. "Get out the way! You're not the only one who wants to see!" Moss glanced back, giving the young Kishu a cheeky grin.

"Wait your turn, kid. Uncle Moss wants to look at his new niece and nephews."

"Why I ought to-!"

Moss was pushed forward ever so slightly; Kyoushiro had given his backside a headbutt. A wave of laughter washed through the Ohu dogs.

"Don't worry, Kyou," Weed chuckled. "Everyone'll get to have a good look at the puppies eventually."

"Oh!" Moss suddenly exclaimed. "My eyes must be going. I can't be seeing that right."

"Eh?" GB spoke up. "What is it, old guy?"

"One of 'em's a tora-ge, like her dad and grandpa…but I've never seen a tora-ge like this…"

Unable to stand the suspense, more dogs began to push their way inside the den, squeezing past Moss. It was then they saw the source of Moss' amazement. There had been three puppies born unto Weed and Heizu. One resembled his father, and had a plain grey topcoat. The second resembled his mother, and had a sand-colored brindle pelt. The third resembled her father and grandfather, in that she was a rare silver brindle, but instead of the dark stripes her father, grandfather, or any other tora-ge dog had, her stripes were a bright and beautiful gold, and they glowed in the moonlight that was pouring into the den. Much gasping ensued. Nothing like this had ever been seen before; this puppy was truly one-of-a-kind.

"A tora-ge with golden stripes…" a dog whispered.

"Amazing," murmured another.

"I've never seen anything like it," proclaimed a third.

Gin stepped forward, gazing down at his suckling grand-daughter. His eyes glistened with awe, but also with another feeling.

"Congratulations, my son," he began. "You've sired a truly remarkable dog." He glanced back at the other dogs. "I believe we should let Heizu and the puppies rest now. It's not good for so many dogs to be crowding them all so soon."

A chorus of groans rang out, but no one dared to argue with the dog who slayed the Demon Bear. Slowly, the throng began to shrink away as dogs began to leave. Eventually, only Gin was left. The Akita glanced at his son.

"Weed, if you don't mind, I need to speak with you."

"Why?" Heizu questioned. "Is there something wrong?"

"Of course not," replied Gin quickly. "There's just…something that worries me. Please, Heizu, we won't be long."

"If this is about my children, you'll speak to me as well."

There was a silence. Gin and Heizu stared at each other, a serious glimmer in Gin's eyes, and a challenging glow in Heizu's. Weed looked back and forth between his mate and his father, before speaking.

"Please, Father. Whatever's the matter, we can both handle it." Gin hesitated, but then gave in.

"Aright. I'm worried for the girl. Our pelts are already special…silver with tiger stripes…humans idolize us for it. Just imagine how they'll react to a silver tora-ge with glowing, gold stripes?"

"That'll be a good thing, right?" Weed asked. "To be appreciated for her pelt?"

"Not if the wrong human sees her," Gin replied grimly. "Look, my son. There are humans out there who make a living selling beautiful and special dogs. If a person like that sees your daughter…" Weed and Heizu's eyes widened.

"They'll take her…" Heizu muttered.

"And you'll never see her again," Gin added. "Please, for her sake, she must be looked after. Humans climb these mountains often; she must she shielded from their eyes." Weed nodded.

"I understand, Father. Thank you."

Gin sat, sighing.

"Forgive me…I didn't want to bring sad news to such a happy occasion. I only want the best for my grandchildren."

"It's alright, Father," said Weed. "Here, if it makes you feel better, we've already decided names for them. The eldest will be named Gurē, the middle child is Sunatora, and the last…will be Kintora. Kintora, the Golden Tiger." The elder dog nodded in approval.

"Wonderful names for a wonderful litter," he commented.

And so, it was on this day that the Silver Fang Legend, Kintora, was born.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

Weed and Heizu weaved between their sleeping comrades, being extremely careful not to accidently wake them. The couple had been busy this morning; they had been hunting for breakfast since the sky had turned a light shade of cornflower. Now, it was time to wake their now 5-month-old puppies and feed them. They entered their den, approaching the sleeping trio.

"Gurē…" Weed whispered, putting down the fawn he had been carrying. "Sunatora…Kintora…it's time to wake up."

Three pairs of eyes fluttered open, the squeaky sounds of puppy yawns filling the air. Sunatora's nose began quivering, and his eyes brightened upon catching the scent of venison. He licked his chops eagerly.

"Aw, man, deer!" he chirped. "My favorite!" He waddled over to the fawn Weed set down, sinking his fangs into the leg and tugging furiously. Weed laughed gently.

"Here, let me help you," he said, taking the fawn leg and pulling it off for his son. Sunatora wagged his tail gratefully, before digging in. Gurē joined his brother, his patient nibbles a stark contrast to Sunatora's method of gobbling down meat. Kintora, however, stayed where she was, glancing up at her parents. The young female was rather picky, eating only what she was in the mood to eat. This often led to Weed and Heizu having to make several hunting trips in order to satisfy their daughter for one meal. Fortunately for them, Kintora seemed to be eyeing the rabbit in Heizu's jaws. Upon setting it down, the puppy pounced on it and began to eat. Both parents let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

With their tummies full and the sleep gone from their eyes, the three puppies emerged from their parents' den, their mother and father walking closely behind them. By now, the sun had risen above the peaks of Fatugo Pass, rays of golden light seeping through the branches. Dogs had since woken up, and were beginning another day of peace. Sunatora began to run off.

"Whoa there, son," Weed called. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Uncle Moss said he'd tell me the Akakabuto story today," the eager puppy explained. "I gotta find him quick!"

"You've heard that story already," Gurē said, sticking out his tongue. "Besides, Uncle Moss won't like it if you wake him up before noon."

"I know, that's why I'm gonna catch him a bird for when he wakes up. He likes birds."

"You don't know how to catch birds, either."

"That's ok. I'll just chase 'em until I catch one."

"That's very nice of you, dear," Heizu began. "But catching birds is a bit more…complicated than that." She watched her son tilt his head in confusion. "Here, if you like, I'll catch it for you."

"Hmm, nah." Sunatora began running towards the undergrowth. "I gotta do this myself, like a real Dog!"

"Hold on!" the mother Kai rushed after him. "At least let me show you how to catch one!" Together, mother and son vanished into the bushes. Gurē's ears perked in interest.

"I gotta see this," he said, running after them. Kintora stayed put.

"Aren't you going, too, Kintora?" asked Weed

"No way," the young female replied. "I don't like birds; they're too noisy."

"Alright…what would you like to do then?"

Kintora was about to reply when a young Golden Retriever approached him.

"Leader," he began, panting. "There's some trouble along the Southern border. Some loners are starting a fight with the patrol."

"On my way, Mel," Weed replied. He then glanced at his daughter. "Er…one moment." He looked down at Kintora. "Sorry, sweetie, but I have to go check something. Now, now, don't make that face; I won't be gone long. Then I can take you to do what you want. But for now…Sasuke!"

Kintora turned, seeing the Shiba Inu in question rushing up to the scene.

"Sasuke, if you don't mind, I need you to look after Kintora while I go do something."

"Yes, Boss," Sasuke replied. "You can count on me." Kintora's pout grew. Not only was her father going off to do boring leader stuff…again…but now he was having Sasuke watch her, of all dogs. Kintora never liked Sasuke, mostly because of the weird jokes he made about her mother. Before she could complain, however, Weed had already rushed off with Mel. Sasuke glanced down at her, seeing the scowl plastered to her features.

"Hey, what's eating you, girly?" he asked. Kintora hesitated to answer, and an idea began formulating itself in her head.

"I wanna play hide and seek," the puppy announced.

"Hide and seek?" Sasuke echoed, scrunching his nose in distaste. "I dunno if I wanna play that…"

"Ok. Let's go explore. Maybe we'll find some cool caves to check out!" Kintora watched the fur on Sasuke's spine stand on end.

"Er…hide and seek it is, then!"

Kintora licked her chops, a devious gleam in her orange eyes.

* * *

"Alright, Kintora, I'm gonna count to 10, and then I'm gonna look for ya, so make sure you hide close by, ok!?"

Sasuke faced a tree truck, standing on his hind paws. His head rested against the bark and his forepaws covered his eyes. He began counting, his voice echoing through the woods. Kintora was hiding in some bushes, peering out at the Shiba.

"Hehehe…" she laughed as she began backing away. "Dummy…" Turning on her heel, Kintora sprinted off, free from the watchful eye of her elders and betters.

"7…8…9…10. Alright, Kintora, here I come!"

Sasuke began searching the flora for Kintora. His nose pressed against the ground, catching scents of soil and wood. It wasn't long before he picked up Kintora's scent behind some bushes. He scoffed.

"Too easy," he murmured as he pushed the foliage back. "Found ya, kid. Better luck next-" The Shiba froze, seeing that the she-pup was nowhere to be found. If that wasn't bad enough, her scent seemed to be leading elsewhere. Sasuke's ears fell as he realized that the child he was meant to watch at all times was now missing in the woods of Fatugo Pass. "…Crap."

* * *

The young Akita mix was filled with a sense of adventure as she journeyed through the undergrowth. Her curled tail wagged as she was overcome by the sights and scents of Ohu's forest. She chased butterflies through clearings and rolled in the soft grass, staring admiringly at the glow of her stripes when the sun hit them. How fortunate was she to have such a gift; oh, how she wanted everyone to see it, to see how pretty and special she was. A scent caught her nose, one she hadn't smelled before. She stood up, a paw lifted and her ears leaning forward. The scent was certainly odd…it wasn't a dog scent, no, it was much different than a dog scent. Could it have been one of those creatures the older dogs would talk about? What were they called…humans? Now, being under her parents' watchful eyes, she'd never gotten the luxury of meeting a human, and wondered what they were like. Kintora followed the scent, pushing her way through the shrubberies. The scent continued to grow, and voices entered the pup's ears. Finally, she saw them.

There was about four of them, and they were in a clearing, gathered around a small flame. The fragrant scent of some sort of meat was coming from over the fire, one that tempted Kintora to emerge from her hiding place and scarf down whatever was cooking. The humans themselves were very odd-looking, with fleshy, bipedal bodies and muzzle-less faces. Kintora noticed that they were using their forepaws to grab and hold sticks, something a dog like herself could never dream of doing. Carefully, she stepped closer; she wanted a better look, but there was something about them…something that made her keep her distance.

"Ah!" the adult male human grunted, bringing a hand to his eyes. Kintora could see the reflection of light on his hand, and realized that the sun must've been gleaming on her stripes. She gasped, bracing herself for the humans to turn and spot her.

"There you are, kid!"

Zip!

Kintora hadn't even gotten the chance to blink before she was pulled back into the shrubs and out of sight. She turned in surprise, seeing Sasuke with his teeth tightly gripped on her tail.

"You little brat!" the Shiba scolded harshly. "Why'd you run off like that!? Do you know what Weed and Heizu would've done if they found out that-!?" Sasuke paused, his ears picking up the sound of approaching footsteps. With fear coursing through his body, the Shiba picked Kintora up by the scruff, running away with her. "Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!"

Kintora's heart was pounding in her chest. _So those were humans_ , she thought. _They're so weird-looking…_ Kintora fell silent, both physically and mentally, as Sasuke carried her back in the direction of the Dog Paradise. As strange as humans were, there was one thing Kintora was certain about: she had quite the story to tell to Sunatora and Gurē…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Night had fallen once again, and dogs had retreated to their dens and nests, curling up for a good night's sleep. In the Leader's Den, Weed and Heizu slept side-by-side, their tails lovingly intertwined. Their puppies were curled up near their mother's belly, quietly snoring as dreams danced in their heads. Well, that was the case for two of them anyway…

Only when she was sure her parents were fully asleep did Kintora's eyes snap open. Carefully, she stood, facing her older brothers. Her paw poked and prodded at them, forcing them awake.

"Ugh…" groaned Gurē. Blinking away sleep, he glared at Kintora. "Kintora, what are you doing?"

"Shh!" Kintora hissed. "Be quiet, or you'll wake Mama and Papa. I need to talk to you guys."

"Mmm, five more minutes, Dad…" Sunatora mumbled, about ready to fall back asleep. Kintora fixed that with a quick nip of his ear. "Ok, ok! I'm up!"

"Guys, stop being so loud!" Kintora ordered. "Now listen, I gotta tell you something. I saw something weird today."

"How weird?" asked Gurē, sitting up.

"Really weird," the she-pup replied. "I think it was those weird creatures the grown-ups talk about."

"Hummus?" Sunatora said.

"Humans," corrected Gurē. He then gave his sister a surprised stare. "You mean…you snuck off?"

"Yeah, while Sasuke was playing hide-and-seek with me."

"Kin, that wasn't right," the gray puppy said, concern seeping in his voice. "You could've gotten hurt or something. You don't know what those humans are like. I mean, if the grown-ups never let us see humans before, maybe it's because they're bad."

"Ha, you're just being a scaredy-pup." Kintora stuck out her tongue teasingly.

"No, I'm following the rules," snarled Gurē. "Maybe you should try it."

"Why should I? I'm the Leader's daughter." Kintora lifted her head proudly. Gurē bared his teeth, a low growl coming from the back of his throat.

"That's no excuse. Me and Suna are the Leader's sons and we always follow the rules. You don't see us taking advantage of Father's victories."

"Well maybe that's because you aren't special, like me." Kintora smirked, letting moonlight cause her golden stripes to glow.

"Oh," Sunatora said, dazzled by the light show. Gurē felt warm under his fur, his tail tucking between his legs. It was true; he wasn't at all a one-of-a-kind like his sister. Hell, he didn't even have normal brindle stripes likes his brother. His coat was plain, blank, ordinary…

"Hmph…" the pup grumbled bitterly. "You know what? Fine, princess. Be stupid if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you if something happens to you." With that, Gurē lied down, facing away from his siblings, and curling up into an angry ball of fur. Sunatora's smile fell and he let out a whine.

"Hey guys…" he began. "Let's not fight…"

"Heh…he started it…" Kintora shrugged. After a moment's pause, she decided to change the subject. "Hey, Suna…wanna go find the humans with me?"

"I dunno…" Sunatora murmured. "I kinda wanna go back to sleep…"

"C'mon…" Kintora egged her brother on, poking his arm. "You know you wanna…" Sunatora glanced at his sister, biting his lip nervously.

"Well, I guess a little peek wouldn't hurt…" he finally said. "Ok, I'll come."

With a happy wag of her tail, Kintora led her brother out of the den. Gurē waited until he could no longer hear their paw-steps to look up. They had disappeared down the mountainside; they were gone. The pup continued to stare for a while, before scoffing and resting his head back down.

"Tch," he muttered. "Morons…don't they know the humans might not be friendly? Hmph…whatever…It serves them right." Gurē paused, resting his head on the den's dirt floor. "…Heh…I mean…even if the humans are nice, it's not like there aren't snakes out there…or owls…or foxes…or…" Gurē swallowed. "…B-Bears…" He sat up, looking outside again. He could only imagine it: Sunatora and Kintora were walking along the forest trail and minding their own business, when a bear suddenly jumped out, crushing them with one blow from its paw. Gurē let out a fearful cry as he shook the thought from his head. He stood up, shaking his father awake.

"Mmmm…wha…?" Weed slurred. He glanced tiredly at his son. "Gurē? What's the matter, son?"

"Father…Kintora and Sunatora…they're gone."

* * *

Sneaking past Ohu's sentry dogs was easy. With a well-tossed stone, the sentries were distracted by the noise and proceeded to investigate it. With the sentries gone, the two siblings darted into the woods.

"So, uh, which way are these humans?" Sunatora asked.

"Uh…" Kintora's eyes scanned the foliage, trying to remember the path she had taken to find the humans in the first place. Unfortunately, due to the darkness of night, seeing was hard for the puppy. "I…I don't remember so well…but humans have a strong smell. If we keep running, we'll find some eventually." Sunatora nodded, trusting his sister and continuing to follow her. The minutes passed, and the search for the scent of humans seemed to be going nowhere. To make matters worse, Kintora could hear commotion far off in the distance. It seemed that her leaving the safety of the den was known to all. She snarled. Gurē…she thought angrily. Just a little fun, was that too much to ask? Kintora vowed to never forgive him for this.

"Kin…" Sunatora began, glancing back over his shoulder. "I-I think we should go back."

"Stop being such a baby," Kintora snapped. "You're my older brother; you need to act like it. We can worry about Daddy later. Right now, we've got some humans to find." A familiar scent caught Kintora's attention, making her tail wag with glee. "This way!"

Reluctantly, Sunatora followed his sister into the bushes, the smell of human entering his nose as well. His heart matched Kintora's, but instead of enthusiasm, he felt fear. As the seconds passed, the scent's strength grew, and Kintora and Sunatora wandered even further from the Dog Paradise. Finally, they arrived at the scent's source. It was a campsite, much like the one Kintora had come across before, but it was set up differently, and had only had a single tent set up. The tent was open; the ripe scent of human drifted from the inside. Kintora approached it, slowly. To see a human up close…that was what she wanted, then she'd leave and face whatever was in store for her. She glanced back at Sunatora; the male was standing at the forest's end, watching her nervously. Kintora rolled her eyes.

"You really don't wanna see?" she asked. Sunatora shook his head.

"I'm not trying to be a scaredy-pup or anything…but I've got a bad feeling about this…" Sunatora fidgeted. Kintora huffed impatiently.

"Fine. You stay out here and keep watch. I'll see the human." With that, Kintora went to the tent. Sunatora stood where he was, his eyes scanning the woods for any signs of trouble.

Upon entering the tent, Kintora looked around. She didn't see anything that looked human, but there were some strange objects that were covered with the human's scent: a sleeping bag, a pack of food, some canteens, and other things. Kintora licked her lips, smelling the food. Perhaps the human would be nice enough to let her sneak a bit? Kintora began nibbling at the pack, tugging away at the fabric with her jaws.

Meanwhile, outside, a man known as Hajime was returning from the depths of the forest, zipping up his pants and adjusting his belt. He had just finished doing his business against a tree, and was ready to return to bed. As he entered the clearing where his tent was located, however, he noticed the sandy puppy lingering near his tent. The man frowned; he had heard during his travel through the Akita Prefecture that wild dogs lived in the Ohu mountains. Whether they lived here or not, Hajime wasn't going to let some mutt hang out around his tent. He advanced on the puppy, who stared up at him with wide, yellow eyes.

"You," he snapped at the pup, lashing out with his foot. "Go away."

YELP!

Sunatora was sent a few feet away, landing roughly on his side. His fears were now confirmed; this human was not at all friendly. He was ready to turn and run back home, but he knew he couldn't…not without Kintora. Staggering to his paws, he called out to her.

"Kintora!"

"I said go away!" Hajime stomped towards Sunatora, kicking again. "You stupid dog!" Sunatora cried out again, before rolling over onto his back to show that he didn't want to fight. Kintora, who had heard the noise, emerged from the tent.

"Suna, what's going-" Kintora froze, seeing the human towering over her brother. His foot was raised, ready to deliver another blow. Sunatora braced himself, his eyes closing, his teeth gritting…Kintora felt a rage boiling within her, one she had never felt before. Her lip curled back, and the fur on her spine stood on end. She darted forward. "Get away from him!"

Hearing the wild barking behind him, Hajime turned, seeing the puppy running towards him.

"What the…" he mumbled. Kintora pounced at Hajime, her body beginning to spin against her will. She was now a spinning disk of fur, fangs, and fury. Her teeth finally sank into the man's shoulder, tearing into the skin, and shattering bone. "AHH. DAMNIT!" Hajime grabbed the silver pup by her scruff, throwing her violently into the forest floor.

"Kintora!" Sunatora cried out desperately, struggling to his paws.

"Uh!" Kintora grunted, pain shooting through her body. Her ears began ringing, and she felt as if she'd pass out. She could see a bright, white light: the moon. It was shining directly onto her body, her exposed stripes beginning to glow. Hajime paused. He was going to continue beating that dog until she learned her lesson, but he hadn't expected something like this.

"A glowing tora-ge…" he whispered in awe, his pain momentarily forgotten. This was unlike anything he, or anyone else in the world, for that matter, had ever seen. It made him wonder: what kind of money could be made on a dog as rare as this? A smile slowly took over his features. Maybe this dog wasn't as annoying as he first thought…He began to walk towards the puppy, reaching out to grab her.

"No! Leave her alone!" Sunatora rushed at the man, his teeth catching his ankle. Hajime grabbed him by the tail, pulling him off with ease. He pulled the pup up to his face, staring into his terrified eyes.

"You don't learn, do you?"

The next thing Sunatora knew, he was being thrown back into the woods, where his head collided against a tree trunk. He slid down to the ground, falling still. Hajime returned his attention to Kintora, who was just beginning to come to. The man laughed.

"Oh, no, little puppy, stay asleep." Hajime grabbed Kintora's neck, picking her up. "You're going to make me a very wealthy man."

The last thing Kintora heard before her head was slammed into the ground was Hajime's sinister laughter.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

"Oh, he's moving!"

"He must be coming to!"

"Sunatora, wake up!"

"Please, remain calm, everyone, and back away. Sunatora doesn't need to be crowded."

Sunatora's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the harsh, white moonlight that shined down upon him. His vision was blurry, but from what he could make out, he was surrounded by his friends and family. Sunatora tried sitting up, but winced when he felt a shock of pain pulsate through his body. Everything hurt, and the warm, sticky feeling on the back of his head let him know that he was wounded. A paw rested gently on his flank.

"Hold still," his father's soft voice commanded. "You're still weak, my son. You need to rest."

"My little baby…" cooed his mother, her tongue carefully cleaning the wound on his head.

"Mama…" he murmured. "P-Papa…" Tears began running down Sunatora's cheek as guilt built up within him. "I-I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, Sunatora," said Weed. "We're not upset. We're just glad you're safe."

"But where has Kintora gone?" asked a dog in the crowd. "Sunatora, you must know!"

Sunatora paused, realizing that he never saw Kintora escape the human before he was knocked unconscious.

"I…I dunno …" he admitted. "The human had thrown her really hard onto the ground, and was going to try and hurt her. I bit him, but he just threw me into this tree. I-I don't know what happened next..."

"Little fool!" snapped GB, stepping towards the shamed pup. "You're her older brother, and you let yourself get taken out like that!?"

"Enough, GB," said Weed sternly, staring at his comrade. "He did what he could; he is to be commended for his bravery. Right now, however, Kintora must be found and Sunatora needs to be taken to the healing spring. GB, you and Rocket follow the man's scent. When you find him, you'll find Kintora."

"Er, yes, Weed," GB murmured. "Come on, Rocket."

"Right," the Borzoi replied as he and the Setter sprinted off into the woods. Heizu picked up her son, resting him on her back.

"I'll take him to the hot spring," she announced, and with an approving nod from her mate, she walked off. Sunatora hung on to his mother's coat, trying desperately to stay awake. As his vision improved a little, he noticed Gurē walking alongside Heizu, staring up at him with an expression he couldn't read. With guilt coursing through his body, he looked away from his brother's icy gaze.

"It's ok," the older puppy whispered. "I'm not mad either."

"You warned us…" murmured Sunatora.

"That doesn't matter. You guys are my siblings; I could never stay mad at you."

"Heh…" chuckled the sandy pup sadly. "Thanks, Gurē…Do you think they'll find Kin?" Gurē paused, staring straight ahead with a grim expression on his face.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But, GB and Rocket are some of the fastest dogs Ohu's got. I think they have a chance." Sunatora put on a weak, yet hopeful smile. He looked towards the sky.

"They find her," he said, his eyes twinkling in the light of the moon. "I know they will."

Gurē couldn't help but smile either. That was just like his brother; it seemed nothing could dampen his hope.

Hajime's scent led the two runners into Higashinaruse, the human village. GB and Rocket hadn't much exposure to this place, and knew almost nothing about it aside from it was Gin's birthplace. Sticking to the shadows of buildings, GB and Rocket continued following the scent until it came to a stop along the side of a road. The scent of car was especially heavy here.

"Damn!" swore GB. "He must've caught a taxi. Who knows where he's gone now."

"This is bad…" murmured Rocket. "Weed and Heizu won't be happy about this…"

With tails tucked between their legs, GB and Rocket walked back in the direction hey came from, dreading the moment when they had to tell Weed that his daughter was gone.

* * *

As the hours passed, and night became day, Hajime took his seat on his airplane. His trip back to his home country was being cut short; he had a million dollar dog at his disposal, and he was looking to sell her. Surely, in America, there'd be some nice buyers of a golden-striped dog? Just thinking about it made him giddy.

Meanwhile, in the pet cargo area, Kintora was still unconscious in her carrier, not realizing that she was about to go on the journey of a lifetime.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Barking. There was barking all around as Kintora finally came to. She let out a soft whimper as a wave of pain pulsated through her head. As she looked around, she realized she was in a cage, surrounded by other cages containing dogs of specific breeds. What sort of place was this, and why was she here? She had no idea, but the barks, as well as the heavy scent of stranger dogs, alarmed her greatly.

"Hey, hey!" a familiar voice spat. "Shut up. All of you."

The barking ceased suddenly, becoming a small chorus of whimpers and whines. Kintora looked up, seeing…him. Hajime, the man who assaulted her. He was approaching her cage, two bowls in his hands. On his shoulder, Kintora noticed a wrapping. She could recall performing that spinning move, the Battouga, her father had called it, before she had been knocked out. No doubt, that wrapping was to heal the damage she had done. Setting a bowl down, Hajime opened the door of the cage.

 _Freedom!_ thought Kintora as she rushed for the opening. She immediately regretted the decision to do that when Hajime's hand gripped her throat, pushing her roughly into the back of the cage.

CLASH!

"Stay back, you little asshole," he swore, setting the bowls inside and shutting the cage door as Kintora struggled to her paws. "Now eat. It's been a day since you had something."

She had spent a whole day in this man's clutches? Kintora shivered. Her family was, no doubt, worried sick about her. Gurē…she should've heeded his warning. And what happened to Sunatora? Did the man do something to him? Kintora thought she'd slip into unconsciousness again, her fear was so great. She couldn't even think to eat or drink, as tempting as it was.

BANG!

The pup flinched as Hajime's fist banged into the metal.

"EAT!" he roared. Kintora rushed to obey, scarfing down the chicken-flavored pellets and gulping the cool water. Hajime watched for a moment, before turning to leave. Kintora waited until she could no longer hear or smell him, before stopping. She approached the cage door, whining and pawing at it.

"No use, kid."

Kintora glanced in the direction of the voice. A Border Collie stared at her grimly from her cage a short distance away.

"The cage door won't open unless Hajime chooses to open it. Even if you could force the door open, Hajime will catch and beat you."

"B-But," Kintora began. "I can't stay here! I have to get back to Ohu!"

"Ohu?" The dogs of the kennel perked curiously. The Border Collie tilted her head. "That Japanese mountain?"

"Yes!" replied Kintora. "My family is there, a-and they're probably missing me!"

"Could she be…?"

"She is the same breed…"

The whispered echoed in the kennel as gossip began about the newcomer. Kintora looked around, her fear becoming replaced with impatience.

"Well? Are you guys gonna help me, or what?"

"Hold your horses, brat," another dog grumbled, a Pitbull male. "Ya say you're from Ohu? Tell me, are you related to Gin, killer of the Japanese Demon Bear?"

"Yes! Gin is my grandfather! Why?"

"Heh…you're a long way from home, little bearhound. This ain't Japan, kid. This is America."

"America?" echoed Kintora. "Wh-What does that mean?"

"It means, Ohu is all the way on the other side of the world."

Kintora felt her heart skip a beat. The other side of the world!? It would take ages for her to get home, if she even escape Hajime's kennel. The Pitbull rested his head on his paws, his eyes closing.

"Just take a load off kid. You're not goin' home."

"But I have to…" whimpered Kintora. "Mama…Papa…my brothers…" Kintora began to weep bitter tears, realizing that she would probably never go home. Silence echoed in the kennel, the dogs watching sympathetically as the puppy cried.

"Poor dear…"

"Surely we have to help her…"

"What can we do? We're Hajime's dogs; he sells us, and that's that."

"But to take a child so far from her family like that? It's too cruel."

"Eh, she'll get used to it. It's the way things are."

And with that, everyone was silent, reluctantly agreeing that Kintora's fate was sealed. Ohu's princess would be forever lost.

* * *

"Still no luck?"

"W-We're sorry, Boss, but we still couldn't find the human, or Kintora."

"…I see…Thank you. You are dismissed."

A distraught Weed watched as his runners sprinted off. In the 24 hours Kintora had been missing, he hadn't gone to sleep, instead, sending patrol after patrol to double check, and to go deeper within the human territories to maybe find his precious daughter. He had just spoken to one of the last groups that had been sent. It seemed that it was finally sinking into Weed that his daughter may have been gone for good. He sat at the mouth of his den, his head hanging low. Standing on a rocky ledge above him, gazing down at him, was his father, Gin. The silver Akita jumped down, standing beside his son.

"Weed," he began, catching Weed's attention.

"Father!" replied Weed in surprise. "You surprised me."

"My apologies. I wish to speak with you."

Together, father and son sat down, gazing at the brightening sky. The night was slowly becoming day once more, and Ohu would soon be a busy Paradise. Weed let out a gentle sigh.

"I didn't follow your advice well enough, Father," Weed said sadly. "Please, forgive me."

"You did the best you could, my son," Gin replied, giving his son a calm stare. "Kintora was a troublesome child, and didn't understand the danger she was in. All children can be like that. No one is truly at fault; all we can do is accept what is now fact: Kintora was captured by a human who will most likely sell her for her pelt. If her captor cannot be found in Japan…I fear she is much, much further away. She could've been taken to America, the place the humans call the "land of opportunity".

The place across the ocean?" asked Weed, his brow furrowed in concern. "If she is there…then we can never hope to get her back."

"That could be true, however, there is a chance that could be false."

"Father?"

"She is a bearhound, son. She has the blood of my father, Riki, and his father, Shiro, in her veins. We bearhounds have accomplished great feats in our lifetimes, even if some of us were just little kids. I believe that, maybe, she could return to us. Let us not stir up what could be false hope, however."

"Y-Yes…yes, I believe in what you say, Father." Weed looked up at the sky, which was a blend of orange and navy blue. "Kintora…I will prey she unleashes her true potential as a bearhound. Sunatora did tell me she had pulled off a Battouga before he was knocked unconscious."

"A Battouga?" Gin's eyes widened. "Hmm…then perhaps we should have more hope than I thought. Still, only time will tell."

Weed nodded in agreement, before looking into the den, watching his sleeping wife and remaining children.

"Sunatora and Gurē will suffer most of all from this loss, however," he said. "She was their sister. They loved her dearly."

"I will find distractions for them," promised the old Akita. "They will participate in training classes to take their mind off the loss. If they focus on it all the time, it will not be good for them." Weed nodded once again.

"Thank you, Father."

* * *

The day replaced the night, and the sun shined down the whole of Japan. In the Fukushima Prefecture, Weed's final patrol was traveling along Mount Azuma, one of Ohu's mountains, on their way home. Their heads hung low and their tails were tugged between their legs in shame, for they, had too, found nothing of Kintora and Hajime.

They walked through the forest, traveling around the mountain's massive crater. As they did, however, one of them, a Vizsla mix named Benrei, began looking around, a shiver running down his spine. A comrade looked to him.

"Eh, Benrei? What's wrong?"

"I dunno," replied Benrei. "I just…nevermind, I think I'm just cold."

"In summer? Perhaps you are coming down with an illness. Should we stop to rest?"

"No, no," insisted the Vizsla. "We'll keep going."

The group continued, but Benrei could not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. He continued making glanced behind and around him, his nose quivering. A bear scent flowed into his nose, one that smelled oddly different from any other bear scent he had smelled. Now, Benrei was a young dog, a member of Kyoushiro's pack before being recruited by Weed. He had no idea that this scent was not one to be taken lightly.

"Benrei," his comrade called again. "What are you-?" he stopped, also catching the smell. "Hold on…is that…?" The dog sniffed again. "Bear?"

The traveling group stopped to smell the scent. All of them were young dogs, none of them having been alive to witness the events told to them by the Ohu veterans. They couldn't understand the danger behind this particular bear scent.

 **GROOOOOOOOOUUUURRRRR!**

The echoing roar caused the dogs to nearly jump out of their skins. A great form emerged from the trees, nearly matching them in height. It was a bear, its scarred pelt a deep blackish-brown. Around its neck was a red collar, worn from age, and seemingly embedded into its skin. A thick chain swung from the collar, glinting in the sunlight. On its head was a clump of pitch black fur that stretched down its back. Its eye (the other was covered by some of the black fur) was a piercing light blue, and stared down at the dogs with an alarming sense of familiarity.

"What the hell?" a dog began, staring up at the bear in shock.

"What sort of bear is that?" cried another.

"Who cares!" snapped a third. "We're Ohu dogs! If it wants to fight, we'll kill it."

The bear roared again, its eye turning bloodshot as it raised a paw. The Ohu dogs leapt into action, fangs ready to bite. The paw swung down, massive claws ready to kill.

The forest was soon filled with the bloodcurdling screams of dogs being torn to pieces.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

 _Huh_ , thought Hajime as he approached Kintora's cage. _She learns quick, I see._

Hajime had been ready to move on to the next process of his money-making scheme, a transition that required him to get his hands dirty and handle the puppy. He had been prepared for a struggle, but to his surprise, Kintora didn't fight him. Even when he opened the door to her cage, she didn't run to try and escape. She simply lied in her cage, staring up sadly at him. Hajime was impressed; it seemed this would be easier than he thought.

Scooping up the puppy, the man walked to the upstairs level of his house. Kintora squinted at the sunlight pouring from the windows; she had gotten used to the dimness of the basement kennel. As Hajime wandered the house, gathering and preparing things for a bath, Kintora made note of the house's interior design. It was a single story, with a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen/dining room, and a bedroom.

The journey ended in the bathroom, when Hajime set Kintora into a bathtub full of warm, soapy water. After a very uncomfortable bath, Kintora was dried, her nails were trimmed, and her teeth were brushed. Little by little, Kintora was looking more and more like a pet dog. Her fur was soft and fluffy, free of the dirt and grime it once held. Her nails were shorter and duller, and her mouth tasted…numb, but in a weirdly good way.

"There," Hajime said. "Now, you're perfect." He took the puppy, setting her on the floor. A ray of sunlight poured onto her from the window. Because her coat was so clean now, her stripes seemed to be twice as shiny today. Kintora was, admittedly, quite impressed, looking back to admire herself. "Hey! Don't move!" Hajime forcefully turned Kintora's head back around, returning the fear to her.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Hajime snapped photo after photo of Kintora, adjusting her when he needed to. Eventually, he had several photos of her and her stunning coat. He'd upload them to the Internet for potential buyers to see. It wouldn't be long now; he'd be a rich, rich man soon enough.

While Hajime was distracted by the pictures he'd taken, Kintora wondered…could this be a chance to escape? She spotted the window, her heart swelling with excitement. Due to her wild dog nature, she had no idea what windows were, and only saw the outside. She darted off, jumping onto the couch, and leaping for the window.

BANG!

Her head hit the glass hard, causing her to yelp. She fell, landing on her back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Hajime stood over her, shaking his head, an amused smirk on his face.

"If that hadn't been so funny, I'd be pissed right now," he said as he picked Kintora up by her scruff, carrying her back down to the kennel. He threw her in, locking the door behind her, before leaving.

"Hey, you ok, kid?" someone asked. "What was that noise?"

It took Kintora a moment to answer, as she recovered from her collision with the window.

"I…I tried to escape…"

There were surprised gasps.

"Y-You…what?"

"You're insane, kid!"

"You're lucky Hajime didn't beat the hell out of you!"

As the dogs murmured about the stupidity of Kintora's attempts to escape, the Border Collie from before stared at the puppy in silence, a thoughtful look on her face. Feeling the stare, Kintora turned, her orange eyes meeting the Border Collie's brown ones. Time seemed to stop around them, the voices of the other dogs fading into nothing.  
"You're, uh, pretty determined, aren't you, kid?" the Border Collie finally said. Kintora nodded, prompting the older female to close her eyes. "Heh…you're either really brave or really stupid." She then grew serious. "I've…never seen anything like that around here. Here, we just accept the fact that we're his dogs, and what he does is his right as our Master."

"It's his right to hurt you?" Kintora asked. "That…that sounds wrong…People shouldn't treat dogs like that…you guys are like…his pack…what kind of Leader hurts his packmates?"

"That's just how Hajime is, kid."

"But why?"

"It has to do with his past, I think. From my understanding, he spent a lot of his life poor. Now that he's grown, he'll do anything to make money. The stress gets to him, and he takes it out on us because he doesn't know how to channel it in a positive way. Besides traveling, of course. He found you in Akita, right? He comes from there. He actually went to go camping and hunting in the woods to help with his stress, but ended up finding you instead. I wish he would've stayed a bit longer. It was his first vacation in so long, it would've done him some good to relax for once."

Kintora noticed the glimmer of sadness in the Border Collie's eyes, and she had to admit, she kind of felt bad.

"I remember when things were different…" The Border Collie was talking more to herself now. "Back when I was his pet instead of his breeding dog…I'd do anything to get those days back…"

Just then, Hajime entered the basement area again carrying food bowls, a water jug, and a bag of kibble. The dogs whined eagerly for their lunch, being careful not to rile up their master's frustrations again. The Border Collie watched Hajime as he got closer to her cage. Finally, the door to her cage opened, and Hajime put two bowls in. She whimpered, gazing up at her master. Hajime paused, staring down at her. The Border Collie cautiously nuzzled at his arm, her tail wagging ever-so-slightly. Kintora noticed Hajime stiffen at the sudden act of affection. His hand raised, and Kintora's eyes widened. He was going to strike her!? Just for showing him love!?

"…Good girl, Lulu," Hajime quietly murmured as he stroked the top of her head. Then then closed the cage, continuing to feed and water the kennel dogs. Kintora stood there, mouth agape in surprise.

* * *

Sunatora collapsed at the edge of a rushing stream, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. It had been a particularly hot afternoon that day, and with the Ohu tactician, Akame, having him and the other puppies learn about tracking for the past couple of hours, Sunatora needed a break. He lapped up the cool water quickly, his tail wagging rapidly. At his sides, he could hear his fellow puppies splashing into the water, yipping thankfully for the chance to take a break.

After a refreshing drink, Sunatora shook out his pelt, lying down on the river bank, panting. Akame, who was watching the scene from the forest shade, couldn't help but smile sympathetically.

"It seems I may have overworked you little ones," he admitted. "My apologies."

"I-It's ok, Mr. Akame," Sunatora reassured, smiling back. "It was a lot of fun tracking, even if some of the smells made me kind hungry…"

"Haha," chuckled the old Kishu softly. "Well, you won't have to worry about being hungry anymore; I'm allowing you all to have a quick lunch break."

"Really?" said Sunatora happily, getting to his paws. "Gee, thanks, Mr. Akame!"

Sunatora dashed off to find his lunch for the day. Pressing his nose to the ground, he used his new knowledge of tracking to follow the scent of a pheasant. Deeper into the forest he went to find his prey. Suddenly, a scent entered his nose, one that caught his attention. It was a familiar scent, one Sunatora would often smell while eating prey: blood. It was incredibly strong, too. Sunatora was puzzled and a little frightened. Was someone hurt? He couldn't be sure, but there was only one way to find out. He abandoned the pheasant scent, following the smell of blood. He pushed through some bushes, and saw the patroller, Benrei, lying on the ground, his body covered in horrifying gashes and bruises. The injured dog was breathing heavily, his face strained as he fought the urge to succumb to the pain of his wounds.

"Oh my gosh!" cried Sunatora, backing away, his pupils shrunk in horror. Hearing the puppy, the Vizsla-mix moved his head, staring up at him with eyes glowing in terror.

"S-Son of Weed…" he began weakly. "Please…listen to what I have to say…" Sunatora nodded slowly.

"O-Ok…"

"Two days ago…I and s-some other dogs…were returning from our search…for your sister…B-But….W-We were attacked…"

"B-By what?"

"Bear…" Benrei began breathing faster. "H-He was huge…and had a great mane…"

"A bear with a mane?" Sunatora murmured. "That sounds like…" He swallowed. "A-A-Akakabuto…"

"No…" Benrei said. "N-Not Akakabuto…K-Kuro….kabuto…"

With his eyes rolling back, Benrei's head collapsed on the ground, his eyes glazed over in death. Sunatora stood there, quivering, blinking back scared tears. He lifted his head, letting out a high-pitched howl that echoed through the woods. It wasn't long before the surrounding bushes began to shake, and Ohu dogs entered the scene, including Akame. There were gasps and cries of shock at the sight of the dead dog.

"Sunatora," Akame began. "What's happened here?"

"I-I was just trying to find some prey, wh-when I started smelling blood. I followed the smell and found this guy." Akame's eyes widened as he recognized the Vizsla.

"Benrei…" he began. "One of Weed's searchers…" He looked at Sunatora. "Was he dead when you found him?" Sunatora shook his head.

"He was still alive, just barely…he…he spoke to me before he died…"

"And what did he say?"

Sunatora shivered just thinking about the words of the dying Benrei. "He said…he had been attacked two days ago while he was coming back from looking for Kintora…it was a bear…"

"A bear?" Akame echoed. "Did he say what it looked like?" This only caused Sunatora to shiver more.

"He said it was huge, with a mane…but…he called it…Kurokabuto…"

Silence lingered over the dogs. Akame, usually known for his calm demeanor, was now staring off into the distance, memories of the Demon Bear flashing in his mind. If the bear that had attacked the patrol shared a similar name to the old demon, could it be that…?

"I must speak to Gin and Weed," he said suddenly. "This may be serious. Sunatora, return to the other children; a soldier will escort you all back to the dens. Our lesson is over for today."

"B-But what about…?" Sunatora trailed off as he looked at Benrei's body. Akame nodded.

"He will receive a proper burial," replied Akame assured. He then called for two other dogs, assigning them with the task of laying the dog to rest, before darting into the trees, leaping from branch to branch until he was gone from sight. Sunatora watched the soldiers pick up Benrei's body, taking him away. He followed.

"Suna!"

Sunatora glanced back to see Gurē rushing up to him.

"Are you ok?" the older puppy asked.

"Yeah…" Sunatora replied. "It was a soldier…he died…"

"Oh…" Gurē's ears fell back. "Suna…I-I'm sorry you had to see that…"

"It's ok…we're Ohu dogs, w-we're gonna see that stuff a lot, I bet." Sunatora was silent for a moment. "I want to see the funeral. I want to be respectful." Gurē nodded.

"Should I come with you?" the grey pup asked.

"Would you?"

"If that would make you feel better."

Sunatora nodded, and together, he and his brother walked after the older dogs.

* * *

"Kurokabuto?" Gin's eyes were wide as he spoke the name Akame had told him.

"Kurokabuto?" echoed Weed, tilting his head. "Like…Akakabuto?"

"Yes, Leader," Akame replied. "I fear…we may have a new threat on our hands. Sunatora told me that Benrei said it was large with a mane, a black one judging by the name. It could very well be related to the Demon Bear."

"If it is," Gin began, looking grim. "It will no doubt wreak havoc, as Akakabuto had done. Anyone who's unfortunate to cross its path will be slaughtered. I may even try to take Fatugo Pass. Weed, we must stop it before more are killed." The young brindle frowned.

"If we attack it suddenly, we could rile it up," said Weed. "Father, you once told me that Akakabuto had his eye shot out by your human…that made it attack. We don't know if that's the case with Kurokabuto. Perhaps it thought it was provoked and attacked out of fear. It may not happen again."

"You're really going to make that risk?" Gin said to his son. "Betting the lives of millions on a simple hope?"

"We will attack if it gives us reason to believe it is a bloodthirsty killer like Akakabuto. For now, we will not kill unprovoked."

Gin stared in disbelief at his son, but Akame spoke up.

"At least…allow us to send a team to watch the bear, so that the army can be contacted as soon as the bear becomes a true threat." Weed took a moment to think about it, before nodding.

"I approve."

Akame nodded, before leaving to form a team. Gin shot his son one last look before leaving him. Despite his desires to eliminate a potential danger, Weed was the Leader now, and Gin wanted to respect his son's choices. Hopefully, Kurokabuto truly wasn't like the Demon.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

Lulu had not been lying when she said she had once been treated as Hajime's pet. The Border Collie bitch was 9 years old, and for a few years, she lived outside of the kennel with Hajime himself. Because dogs were quite observant towards their humans, Lulu could pick up on things specific to Hajime himself, one such thing being when he fell asleep. Now, Lulu had a limited knowledge of the human concept of time, but had often found herself watching Hajime in her youth, counting down the seconds until he fell asleep. It was almost always 360 seconds, or 6 minutes. So when Lulu's strong ears picked up Hajime getting into bed that night, she was quick to start counting.

Around her, dogs yawned and whispered "good night" to each other. Her ears pressed against her skull; she wanted nothing to distract her and make her lose count. When she was at 195, the only sound that could be heard was the gentle snoring of her kennel-mates. Her counting continued until she reached the lucky number, and she could hear the sounds of sleep coming from the upper part of the house. Everything was going perfectly.

As quietly as she could, Lulu crept towards her kennel's door. She lifted a paw and slid it through one of the spaces, and pawed at the latch. Remembering Hajime's hand movements, the Collie managed to unlock her kennel. She stepped out and turned to Kintora's kennel. The puppy was fast asleep in a corner, unaware of Lulu's plan for her.

"Hey, kid," Lulu whispered as she approached the pup's kennel. Kintora began to stir, gazing up at the older bitch with tired eyes.

"Huh? She murmured. "Lulu?"

"Yeah, kid, it's me," replied Lulu. Kintora's eyes widened.

"H-How'd you-?"

"You learn a few things when you spend all your life with humans," Lulu cut off, a careless tone in her voice. "That's not important anyway. I'm getting you out of here."

"Really?" Kintora chirped, getting to her paws and wagging her curly tail. Lulu nodded. "Oh, thank you!"

"Heh," the Collie bitch laughed softly. "Don't mention it. Our, uh, little talk earlier got me thinking...maybe just accepting this life as the norm isn't as good as I thought it was. I know it's a bit late for me to learn this lesson now, but, I want to spend the few years I have left as more than just a baby-making machine. I want to be loved again. But it's not just me who wants to return to happier times. You've got to get back to your family, back to Ohu...I'm giving you the chance to go back. Please...don't waste it."

"I won't," said Kintora with a grateful nod. "I promise."

"Good."

With that, Lulu unlocked Kintora's kennel. Together, both dogs walked upstairs. Kintora's ears tilted towards Hajime's bedroom, hearing him snore.

"Don't worry," said Lulu. "He's a deep sleeper; he won't catch us. Come on." Lulu led Kintora across the dark living room to the front door. As they approached, Kintora noticed the small square shape at the door's base. She gazed up at Lulu curiously.

"That's called a "doggy door"," explained the old bitch. "Humans let their dogs come in and out of the house with it. You can leave through here."

"Won't you come with me?" asked Kintora. "We can be free together. We'll go to Ohu, and Daddy can let you be an Ohu warrior!"

"Nah," Lulu shook her head. "I've got to stay here. Someone's got to help Hajime become a better man." Kintora made a face.

"You still wanna help that jerk?"

"Yes. The man I once knew is still in there. I'm going to get him out." Lulu then smiled. "Besides...if this all works out, maybe you'll see me again. Like I said, Hajime comes from Akita. Maybe I'll see you killing a demon bear or something."

Both bitches laughed, before Kintora faced the doggy door. She stared back at Lulu one last time.

"Goodbye, Lulu."

With that, she sprinted out into the night, darting across Hajime's lawn and running down the street. Lulu watched from the living room window, waiting until she had completely gone from sight. Without a word, Lulu got off the couch, walking to Hajime's slightly-ajar bedroom door. As his snores grew louder, so did the pounding of Lulu's heart.

Creeeeeeeak….

The door swung open with the push of a paw, and Lulu stepped inside. This was it...she was going to do something she hadn't done in years. Hopping into the bed, Lulu walked to Hajime, lying down at his side, her head on his chest. Her ear twitched; his heart sounded so...soothing...It wasn't long before Lulu was lulled to sleep.

* * *

Kintora's eyes fluttered open the next morning, a yawn escaping her maw. Where was she? She couldn't be sure; all she remembered was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She entered a large, bright place, and...well, it seemed she had just been too tired to continue on.

Looking around, Kintora noticed she was in a large, shadowy alley, surrounded by odd-looking (and even odder-smelling) containers. Loud noises were coming from the alley's end. Zooming past the alley entrance were the human vehicles: cars, trucks, and the like.

"Is this..." murmured Kintora. A city?" She got to her paws, walking to the alley entrance and looking out. The sight nearly took her breath away. Buildings taller than she'd ever seen stretched to the sky, and throngs of humans walked along the sidewalk. Kintora yelped as a man clad in a suit nearly stepped on her.

"Hey!" cried the man. "Stupid dog..."

Kintora retreated back to the alleyway, collapsing to the ground and gasping for breath. Mentally, she berated herself. An Ohu dog such as herself had no business running from things; she had to start her journey as soon as she could.

Grrr...

Kintora glanced down at her stomach. She decided that she would have a quick breakfast, then make her leave.

Her nose pressed against the ground and she began to search. She was led to one of those smelly container things. Kintora really didn't want to have to rummage through disgusting trash, and was almost tempted to change her mind about eating, when her stomach growled again. Sighing, she realized she had no choice.

Kintora hopped into the container, tearing at trash bags and pawing at their contents. She winced as stains formed on her once beautiful pelt, the sweet shampoo Hajime used on her being masked by a musty odor. The humans were behind this, no doubt; Kintora was really starting to hate them.

"Aha!" the puppy yipped as she tugged a bone from the trash. It tasted like bird, not one she had ever eaten, but it still tasted pretty good. She found another, and another, and another. Soon, she had a small pile of bones at the base of the garbage can, ready for her to eat. Kintora settled with her breakfast and chowed down happily.

She hadn't gotten three nibbles in, however, when a low, raspy voice caught her attention.

"Heheheh...what do we have here?"

Kintora looked up to see three large mongrels stalking towards her, their wild eyes glowing with murderous intent. Kintora felt herself tremble slightly, but despite this, she put on a brave face. The trio stopped, towering over her small body. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Kintora stared at the three strangers, trying her best not to look away in fear.

"Those are some nice lookin' bones y'got there, kid," the leading mutt purred, his tongue running against his fangs.

"Yeah?" replied Kintora, resting a paw over her meal. "So?

"So...I was just thinkin'..." The large male dragged his claws against the pavement, the noise causing Kintora to flinch. "How's about you hand 'em over to us? We're starvin'."

"N-No way," said the pup. "I worked hard to get these bones. G-Go find your own."

The three dogs glanced at one another, before laughing cruelly.

""G-Go find your own!"," mocked the second dog. "Ha! That's rich."

"We should keep her," said the third. "I could use a laugh like that more often." Kintora let out a little growl.

"H-Hey, I don't want any trouble, ok? I-I don't wanna have to use my special attack on you guys." The trio laughed again.

"You? A special attack? And what would that be, runt?"

"The Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, the attack my grandfather, Gin!"

There was another silence. The three mutts now looked confused.

"Gin?" repeated the leader. "That Japanese dog from those old stories?"

"Those aren't just stories!" snapped Kintora. "They're real! Gin killed the Demon Bear, Akakabuto, with his special attack! I'll do the same to you if you don't back off!"

"You sure got an active imagination, kid." The leading mutt edged closer to Kintora. "But I have more important things to worry about than stories about spinning dogs. I'm hungry. Beat it, or I'll have you for dessert-ACK!"

The stray stepped back, blood trickling from his nose. Kintora growled up at him, ears lowered and hackles raised. The stray stared down at her, the violent glow in his eyes brightening.

"Alright, kid...you asked for it."

He suddenly lunged forward, his jaws wrapping around her small body. Kintora couldn't scream, the grip was so tight. She could only make strained grunts as the stray shook her body mercilessly. He threw her, and she slammed into the brick wall of the building nearby. She slid down to the ground, lying motionless. The scarlet flow of blood ran from the gash that had formed on her head. A tear fell from Kintora's eye as she realized that this was going to be the end. The stray advanced on her, pressing his paw down on her body.

"Die, brat."

With a fierce snarl, he lunged again, preparing to deliver a killing bite. But before Kintora could feel the sharpness of his fangs, the body of another dog collided with him, knocking him away. The stray yelped as he was pushed into his followers, and they landed in a heap of fur. Kintora looked up in awe at her savior. It was an Akita, like herself, but she was larger than the average Akita female. Her body was mostly white, with dark brown on her back, shoulders, and head. A warmness shone her eyes as she gazed down at the puppy.

"Hang on," she said comfortingly. "I'll protect you." Kintora could only nod, dumbfounded. The older Akita glared at the mongrel trio. The leader managed to get to his paws, glaring daggers at the bitch.

"Mona," he snarled.

"Ronald," Mona replied, her voice rich with contempt. "Attacking more innocent pups, I see."

"Heh...it's not like Cujo wouldn't do the same," said Ronald. "I was going to kill her quickly. Cujo...you know how he likes to torture 'em."

"You're both disgusting." Mona lashed her tail angrily. It only caused Ronald and his comrades to laugh.

"Careful what you say, girlie. Cujo may want you as his mate, but if he hears about you going against his rules and insulting him…"

"I don't care," the Akita growled. She stepped over Kintora's body protectively. "I'm not going to sit around and let any more innocent children die because of that monster."

"Is that so? Well, Cujo would be very interested to hear that." Ronald looked to his two followers. "C'mon. To the boss."

The trio slinked passed Mona, flashing her ugly sneers as they vanished into another part of the alley. Mona sighed, glanced down at Kintora.

"Are you ok?" Kintora nodded, too weak to speak. "Come on, let's take care of those wounds of yours."

Kintora looked off in the direction the three mongrels walked off in. Mona followed her gaze, and chuckled.

"Don't worry about them. I won't let them or Cujo hurt you. My name's Mona. You can tell me yours later. For now…" Mona leaned down, carefully picking Kintora up by the scruff. She walked off, with Kintora being completely at her mercy.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

While Kintora's adventures in the city were beginning during the day, Japan was lit by the light of the silver moon. Under the cover of darkness, Tesshin and his Kouga followers were arriving to Mount Azuma. Nimbly and silently, they leapt from tree limb to tree limb, following the strong scent of bear. They were sent by Akame, with one assignment: to act as surveillance. Under the command of Weed, they were not to attack, but simply return to Ohu if Kurokabuto did begin to act as aggressively as the infamous Demon Bear.

"Wait," whispered Tesshin. Glancing at his followers, he tilted his head downward. The other Kouga did the same, a saw a bear walking through the undergrowth, a beehive firmly in its jaws. It looked nothing like Sunatora described; it was just a regular Asian black bear. The grunts and roars of more bears were coming from just up ahead, and as the shinobi dogs continued onward, they could see a large gathering of bears settled in a clearing. Even with their warrior blood, the strong musk of bear sent a twinge of fear through Tesshin and his comrades.

"Look," said a Kouga, the fur on his spine standing on end. "That must be him: Kurokabuto!"

The Kouga spoke correctly. In the center of the clearing, surrounded by food stacked up by the much smaller bears, was a he-bear, massive in size, with a black mane on his head. He was just as horrifying to look at as he was in description; truly, this was Kurokabuto. The Demon sat, stuffing himself with the food offered to him by his servants. The black bear the Kouga had followed was going to set down its own offering, when a massive paw swiped at its head, impaling the hive with a claw. He brought it to his mouth, downing it whole, not caring if any bees still remained within. A satisfied growl escaped the bear's maw.

"What a dreadful looking bear…" whispered another Kouga. "How could he not be like the old Demon Bear? We have to kill him."

"No, Weed would never forgive us for it," Tesshin said.

"Who cares about Weed's forgiveness? We'll have saved all of Japan!"

"Whether Kurokabuto is a true threat or not, a small group such as ourselves won't be enough to kill a bear like that," explained Tesshin. "Please, let's just obey Weed and Akame's orders, and watch."

There was a collective "Yes, Tesshin." from the other Kouga. With that, they began to settle, sitting and resting behind the thick foliage, and they watched. It would be a while before they returned to Ohu; if a month passed and there was no aggression from the bear, the ninja dogs would come home. Only time would tell, however.

Finally full of meat, berries, and beehives, Kurokabuto leaned back against some trees, his mass nearly uprooting them and knocking them over. A claw reached up, scratching at an itchy spot on the base of his neck. It met with the worn fabric of his collar, and Kurokabuto paused. His old collar...Despite it having been long ago since he had gotten it, the rage and madness within him caused him to hold a permanent grudge on all humans and dogs. Very soon, they would pay for what they did to him so long ago…

* * *

 _There had been many stories regarding the origin of Akakabuto, the Demon King of bears. While some bought the story that he was a normal bear that went mad due to a bullet to the eye, others had a more...mythical idea of his backstory. This story dated back many, many years ago, before Gin, Riki, and even Shiro's births._

 _It was said that he was born in the coldest of winters, in a deep, dark cave, to a young she-bear. Now, what was special about this she-bear was that she had not gotten pregnant prior to hibernation, yet she had three cubs, Akakabuto, Kurokabuto, and Chukabuto, in the middle of December. A common theory was that the Devil himself had planted vile seeds within the she-bear, his Demons, who would grow to cause chaos and destruction._

 _The she-bear had died giving birth, leaving the three cubs alone. However, through what could only be described as a demonic determination, they survived without milk, and had not lost their strength come spring. By spring, they were large, looking three times older than they were. They were natural killers, catching and maiming prey with ease. The words of the Devil urged them on, fueling their lust of carnage and death. However, despite their violent behavior, they were still close as brothers. Akakabuto was the leader, making the decisions to hunt, fight, and rest. Kurokabuto was the brawn, being the largest of the three (despite only being the second-born). Chukabuto was the smallest of the brothers, but was blessed with a special gift: invisibility. Whenever he wished, his body could vanish and move silently through the woods. This, coupled with Chukabuto's wits, made him a deadly assassin._

 _The three brothers were together for months, living comfortably in their mountain home...until the humans came. Some hunters exploring the mountain of the Demon Trio came across Kurokabuto alone. Stunned by his impressive size, they captured him, taking him to their home. They collared him and chained him outside, and used him as bait for the dogs they were training. Kurokabuto had never been so terrified in all his life, and from then on, gained a fear and hatred of dogs and their masters. Eventually, he broke free, slaughtering all in his path as he fled into the woods. He wasn't sure how to make his way home, however, and remained lost for quite some time._

 _Years later, Akakabuto was slain by the Shooting Star, Gin. His army disbanded, and Ohu was filled with peace. Chukabuto, who had remained neutral during this time, seeked to find his brother, now free from the Red Helmet's control. They met one night, and Chukabuto was shocked at the brutality done to his brother. They formed an agreement: together, all humans and dogs would die by their command, and Ohu, no, all of Japan would be their kingdom._

* * *

 **"Oi...oi, brother."**

The voice brought Kurokabuto from his memories, and he glanced off to the side. A glowing pair of eyes stared back at him through the flora.

" **What is it, Chu?"** he replied. The eyes glanced upward.

" **Ohu's ganin...they've arrived,"** Chukabuto explained from his hiding place. Kurokabuto curled back his lip in distaste.

" **Damn dogs…"** he muttered. **"Take your followers and slay them at once."**

" **As you command, my brother."** The eyes disappeared into the shadows, and Kurokabuto looked up, watching and waiting patiently for the screams of his enemies to fill the air.

In the trees, Tesshin felt a strange feeling deep within him, and he looked around.

"What's the matter, Tesshin?" asked a Kouga.

"Something isn't right," explained the Kouga leader. "I can feel it in my bones...Everyone, be alert; I fear something dreadful is about to-"

Before Tesshin could even finish his statement, a humongous paw slammed into the branch, breaking it from the tree. Some of the Kouga were crushed and killed instantly, barely having time to scream. Tesshin, nearly taking the blow himself, managed to leap from the falling branch to a stable one, followed by his surviving followers.

 _H-How?_ , thought Tesshin in alarm. _He's gargantuan, but didn't hear him at all...I couldn't even smell him!_

"Tesshin! Look out!"

Tesshin leaped into the air, clinging onto another branch just as a bear's paw swiped the area he once stood. He looked down in shock. More bears had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, clinging onto the branches as if they had known the Kouga dogs would jump there. The massive bear who had attacked them at first, Chukabuto, sneered up at him, his wide, unblinking eyes staring into his soul.

" **Heheh…"** laughed the brown-maned Demon. **"Think you can get away from us so easily?"**

"Ahhh!" Tesshin's head snapped to the side, seeing one of his comrades disappear into the leaves above. His legs kicked wildly at his attacker dragged him away. There was a sickening crunch, and blood dripped onto the branch. Other Kouga dogs were being dragged off in a similar manner, being killed by the ninja bears quicker than Tesshin could blink. One of his comrades, Tsukikage, managed to dodge a bear paw, jumping and biting down on the bear's head.

"Tesshin!" he cried out as he ripped and tore at the thick skin. "Go! Return to Ohu! Warn Weed!"

"And abandon my comrades?" replied Tesshin as he dodged the chomping teeth of another bear. "Never. You go, I will stay and fight."

"My duty is to protect you, Tesshin!"

"As is mine to protect you. Tsukikage, leave now. I will cover you."

Tsukikage hesitated, and with a growl, Tesshin rushed over, pushing his comrade off the bear he was fighting, taking his place. Tsukikage landed on another branch. With moist eyes, he decided to obey.

" **No you don't…"** growled Chukabuto as his body began to dissolve into nothing. Tsukikage made the journey down the mountain, trying to ignore the sounds of his dear comrades facing a new and dangerous enemy. He didn't hear or smell the danger lurking behind him, however, and as he was about to leapt to the next tree, the tree he was currently standing on began shaking violently. Tsukikage gasped, nearly slipping. He held on tightly with his teeth as the tree was pulled up from the ground, roots and all. Without warning it was slammed into the ground. Tsukikage was thrown to the forest floor, sticks, branches and leaves falling all around him. The tree was brought back up, and brought down quickly. Tsukikage had only seconds to dodge.

"Argh!" he cried as a branch caught his paw, tearing the pad. He tumbled down a steep incline, into a river that was running at the bottom. He was pulled downstream by the current, crashing and banging into rocks along the way. It took all his willpower not to fall unconscious. From the bank, Chukabuto had appeared, no longer carrying the tree he had uprooted. He now wielded a great boulder, which he threw in Tsukikage's direction. It didn't hit him, but the force of it hitting the water was so great, it sent a wave of water over the Kouga. He hadn't time to take a breathe when water filled his nose and mouth. He was dragged down, unable to pick himself back up.

 _Tesshin..._ he thought, as his body was swept away. _Please...forgive me…_

Chukabuto watched a while longer, waiting to see if Tsukikage would emerge again. The seconds passed, and the river was stained red with blood. Chukabuto smirked; Tsukikage had succumbed to the current.

" **All too easy…"** he muttered as he returned to his followers. The smell of dog blood was ripe, and the tattered bodies of the slain Kouga clan littered the ground. Only Tesshin was left alive, his struggling body being held down by two bear shinobi. Chukabuto laughed.

" **Well done, all of you,"** he said, an amused purr in his rumbling voice. He looked down at Tesshin, who glared up at him with a fiery vengeance in his eyes. " **Hmm...so this is the great Tesshin, ganin of Ohu? How pathetic. Still...what a lovely pelt you have…"** His claw reached forward. Tesshin froze as its tip gently ran against his neck. " **Hmm...you'll be perfect to add to the collection. Oi, you."**

A shinobi stepped forward, bowing to his leader.

" **What are your orders, Master?"** he asked.

" **Take this ganin to my cave. Skin him and hang up his pelt with the others. I don't care what you do with the rest of him."** The shinobi snickered, licking his chops. Tesshin may not have been able to speak bear, but he could tell just by that that the bears weren't planning on keeping him alive. He looked around for something, anything to help him. On the ground was an assortment of sticks and rocks. He lowered his head to the ground, covering it with his paws. Chukabuto watched curiously.

" **What's this? Praying? Begging for mercy? Ha...whatever it is, a Demon's heart cannot be touched by it. Take him away; I want my new pelt as soon as possible."**

" **Yes, sir,"** the appointed shinobi said as he grabbed Tesshin by his back. The heavy paws of the other bears vanished. Now was his chance! Tesshin bent himself back, a sharp stick in his maw. With as much force as he could, he jammed the sharp end of the stick into the bear's eye. The bear shrieked in pain, releasing Tesshin immediately.

" **No!"** roared Chukabuto. **"Fool! Catch him! Quickly!"**

The shinobi bears approached, teeth and claws ready, but Tesshin darted under their legs, shooting up the side of a tree. He didn't stay for long; he had no idea how many enemy shinobi Chukabuto had, or if they were still using the trees for cover. He leapt away as fast as he could, going from branch to branch. He could hear the snapping of wood behind him; they were hot in pursuit. Tesshin alternated his path rapidly; despite being abnormally fast bears, the shinobi bears were still large and heavy compared to dogs, and Tesshin easily threw them off his trail. It wasn't long before he caught the scent of blood. Pausing, he saw a river rushing at the edge of the forest, the current a reddish hue. In horror, he realized who's blood it was.

"Tsukikage…" he whispered, his eyes burning with tears. "No...no, you can't be dead…" Tesshin jumped down, running along the water's edge. The river led to a small waterfall, which led to a calm and peaceful-looking lake. Upon further examination, Tesshin realized the grey mass on the riverbank. His heart fluttered.

"Taukikage…"he whispered, a bit of hope returning to him. He decided to jump, diving into the lake water. He swam to the bank, joining his comrade's side. Carefully, he rested a paw on his chest. His eyes widened; Tsukikage was still breathing! As if sensing his leader, the Kouga's eye slowly opened.

"T-Tesshin…" he strained to say.

"Hush," commanded Tesshin softly. "You're in no condition to talk right now. Come on...we're leaving for Ohu. I'll carry you."

As Tsukikage tried to argue, Tesshin simply slipped him onto his back, slipping into the shadows of the woods. Up above, the bear shinobi peaked over the falls.

" **Nothing,"** growled a shinobi.

" **Could he have drowned?"** said another. " **His scent ends here, and the current is very strong."** Chukabuto appeared, surveying the scene.

 ** _I'm willing to buy the first one,_** he thought. **_But the great Tesshin would really let himself die by drowning?_**

" **Hmph…"** he grumbled. " **It seems he escaped."** A smile slowly graced his features. **"But that's fine. I know he's off to tell the others. The entire Ohu army and their allies will come...and with so many dogs...I'll have so many new pelts to add to my collection. Hehehe...see you soon...fellow shinobi..."**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

At the center of the city, and by extension, the territory of Cujo, was a vast and beautiful park that contrasted heavily with the dismal greys of the skyscrapers. A lake rested in the northeastern section, and from the lake, a stream ran through the other regions of the park. In the southern region, there was a large, stone bridge. Beneath it ran a stream fed by the lake waters. This was the home of Cujo, the Leader of the City Dogs.

Cujo was a large male, with long black-and-brown fur that gave him an even larger appearance. His eyes were an electric shade of yellow; just one stare from them could turn the bravest of dogs into shivering pups. He was a Rottweiler-Golden Retriever mix, and as such, had an air of both regality and intimidation about him. He rested under his bridge, feasting on a duck one of his slaves had fetched from the lake. The scent of approaching dogs suddenly filled his nose, and he looked up.

"Eh?" he muttered. He watched as Ronald and his comrades approached. Upon reaching the bridge, they skidded to a stop, panting heavily. Cujo let out an irritated growl.

"What do you want?" he snapped. "I'm trying to enjoy a nice brunch."

"Boss," Ronald began, bowing his head. "We came to tell you about Mona." At the sound of the female he was currently infatuated with, Cujo sat up, staring attentively at his soldier.

"Mona?" His voice trembled in a longing purr. "What about her? Has she finally confessed her love to me?"

"Er...not quite, sir…" Ronald replied. He flinched as Cujo glared at him.

"Then what is it?" Cujo snapped.

"Sh-She protected a puppy. One that's not yours, Boss."

"Oh? Odd...I never took her as the rule-breaking type…" Cujo then shook his head. "What a shame. I thought she was smarter than that, but it seems she must be taught a lesson. Go. Begin a search and find that puppy. Then, bring it to me and gather everyone here to witness the execution, including Mona."

"Right away, Boss." Ronald turned, lifting his head and letting out a howl that traveled throughout the city. In seconds, all of Cujo's men were on the hunt for a puppy that didn't share their Leader's blood.

* * *

Mona's ears perked. She had been at the edge of the territory when the howl reached her ears. Kintora, still gripped tightly in the American Akita's jaws, looked around.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Damn…" murmured Mona. "Er...it's nothing, sweetie." Mona picked up her pace.

"You're scared," Kintora pointed out. "Is it that Cujo guy?"

"Hush now." Mona had a slightly sterner tone in her voice, one that reminded Kintora of her mother whenever she had been caught misbehaving back in Ohu. She decided to keep quiet as Mona began sprinting to wherever it was she was taking her.

"Hey, I think I hear someone over here!" a male voice came from around the corner. "This way!"

Mona turned quickly, running back the way she came. Kintora could hear dogs hot in pursuit.

"Stop!" Orders were barked at Mona. "In the name of Cujo, stop where you are!" Mona only ran faster, darting around the alley's many twists and turns.

"Mona," a new voice suddenly called, one Mona recognized as a friend. She turned, and Kintora gasped as she saw what could've been the largest Great Dane she'd ever seen in her life. Approaching then was a large male Great Dane with a blueish coat, a scarred left eye, and a missing left hind leg. Despite his startling appearance, Kinora saw that Mona looked relieved to see him.

"Blue Moon," Mona gasped. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"Mona, are you crazy?" the male snapped in a voice rough from old age. "What do you think you're doin', goin' around and savin' puppies?"

"Please, Blue Moon, I know I shouldn't have, but I just couldn't take it anymore," explained Mona quickly. She looked over her shoulder. The shadows of dogs were forming on the wall behind her. "We'll talk about this later; I need you to take her to the tunnels...please…"

Kintora gazed up at the Dane, seeing a hesitant glow in his undamaged eye. The old male then let out a sigh.

"Hand 'er over..." he grunted. With a nod, Mona passed over the puppy. As the Dane grew closer, Kintora noticed a strong, disgusting smell lingering on his body. She cringed as his jaws clamped around her scruff.

"Ew..." she whined. "You're smelly."

"Watch your mouth, kid," Blue Moon replied. "Or it won't be Cujo you'll have to worry about." His eye wandered over to Mona, who gave him a stern look. He let out a rough chuckle. "Relax, I'm kiddin'. Be careful, huh?" With that, Blue Moon rushed off, carrying Kintora with him. Mona turned; her pursuers had just come around the corner. They formed a circle around her, growling and gnashing their teeth.

"Well, well, well," one spoke. "If it isn't the little troublemaker in question." He shoved his nose in Mona's face. "Where's the brat?"

"What brat?" Mona replied, feigning innocence.

"Don't play dumb, woman. You have a dog's scent clinging to you, one I don't recognize. Where's the puppy?"

"There is no puppy," replied the Akita, standing her ground and looking the male dead in the eye. "So, I suggest you turn around and look elsewhere." The speaking male sneered.

"Well, unfortunately for you, Cujo wants everyone to assemble at his bridge, and you're the guest of honor." He glanced to his comrades. "Crusher. Leo. Take her to the park."

The two males approached, pushing Mona roughly. Mona held her head high, refusing to look pitiful, as to spite them. In her head, however, she hoped that her friend had gotten Kintora to safety.

* * *

If Kintora hadn't been nauseous before, she certainly was now. Blue Moon had raced as fast as he could to the city's end, where the entrance to the sewage tunnel was located. Ignoring Kintora's protests, he entered, and was now wading in filthy water that rose up to his chest. Kintora kept her hind paws and tail raised as to not touch the stuff.

"Why are we here?" she asked. "It's really smelly. I wanna go back outside."

"Well, y'can't, kid. Sorry."

Kintora pouted.

"But I don't wanna stay in here! Turn around! Take me back!" Blue Moon growled deep in his throat.

"Quiet, brat," he grumbled.

"No!" Kintora spat. Suddenly, the Dane stopped. For a moment, she thought the old male was actually going to do as she said. She smiled, feeling pleased to have things go her way once more...until she felt the Dane's grip on her scruff tighten. She breathed in sharply; it hurt quite badly.

"What'd you say to me?" His voice was no higher than a whisper, but it carried a deadly tone that chilled Kintora to the bone.

"N-Nothing..." she managed to choke out.

"Good. Let's keep it that way, huh?"

He walked on, and Kintora stayed silent. It was so strange...no Ohu dog ever spoke to her like this. Kintora was really starting to despise America and its inhabitants.

"Here." Kintora was rested on a platform that hung over the river of sewage water. The Dane sat down next to her, lying down with his head on his paws. He stared contemplatively at the sewer water, watching as debris from the humans floated by. Kintora fidgeted, unsure of what it was she was really meant to be doing. She was a little afraid to speak, however; Blue Moon may have been a friend to the nice and polite Mona, but he was not one to be trifled with.

"Um..." she began quietly. "What are we doing?"

"Waitin'," was Blue Moon's response. He didn't even bother to look at her when he spoke.

"For...?" said Kintora.

"For this whole thing to blow over." Blue Moon scratched his flank with his hind paw. "Cujo'll call off the search after a day or two. 'Till then, we wait."

"They won't check here?"

"Nope. No one's crazy enough to hang around in a place this disgustin'. That's why it's the perfect hidin' spot."

"Oh." Kintora was quiet for a moment. "Where's Mona? Why didn't she come with us?"

"She, as well as all of Cujo's, followers, have to gather before him in the park. If she kept running away with you, she would've led Cujo's hunters here, and the last thing I need is to deal with them."

"But aren't you-"

"No. I'm not under Cujo. Not anymore." Blue Moon paused. "I've been banished from Cujo's territory for two years now."

"What happened?" asked Kintora curiously. Blue Moon scoffed.

"You're a nosey one, aren't ya?" He then sighed. "Heh...I'll tell ya. Beats sittin' here in silence. He banished me 'cause I tried fightin' 'im in the past. I got tired of his crap, and I wanted to stop it for good, so I challenged him so I could force him to step down as Leader. I was more experienced than he was; for a while, I had the upper hand. But Cujo decided to play dirty and call for his men to back him up. I tried my best to fight back, but...heh...well, look at me, kid. This is what happens when ya try doin' the right thing."

Kintora's eyes widened. The scarred eye...the missing leg...those were Cujo's doings? She couldn't help but shiver.

"How'd you survive?" she asked.

"Some humans found me after Cujo left me to die. They took me to the vet and got me taken care of. I escaped after I was all better. The look on Mona's face when she saw me...heh...I'll never forget it. It was as if she'd seen a ghost."

"That's crazy…" was all Kintora could think to say.

"Yep."

Both dogs were silent for a while.

"I can't stay here," Kintora said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Hold your breath…" the Dane grunted in mid-yawn.

"No, I mean...I have to get home...my family's worried about me."

"Where's home, kid?"

"Ohu."

Blue Moon's eyelids were drooping as Kintora spoke. When she mentioned Ohu, however, they snapped open. His single, emerald eye stared at her interestedly.

"Ohu?" he repeated. "That place from the legends?"

"They're not legends," Kintora sighed. "They're real. Gin's real, and he's my grandpa." Blue Moon grunted.

"Right. And my mother was an alley cat."

"I'm telling the truth." Kintora growled, and her tail lashed in annoyance. "I'm the granddaughter of Gin, and my home is Ohu. Why won't anyone here believe that?"

"Newsflash, kid: not everyone believes those stories of Gin and the Ohu dogs. I mean, a spinnin' dog cut off a mountain-sized bear's head ain't exactly realistic. 'Sides, even if it was true, and you are from Japan, you've got a long way to go if you wanna make it back."

Kintora pouted. "Fine, Mr. "I'm Gonna Sit In A Smelly Tunnel All Day". If you know how to get to Japan, then take me."

"Whoa there, kid," Blue Moon sat up and gave the puppy a wide-eyed expression. "You must be crazy if you think I'm gonna drag ya across the 50 states."

"It's better than staying here, right?" Kintora shrugged.

"Like I'd leave Mona behind with Cujo after her tail." Anger was sneaking its way into Blue Moon's voice, a concerned sort of anger only a male worrying for his child could speak in. The glow of a mighty warrior shone behind his single eye, one Kintora was no stranger to.

"Fight him again," she said. "And this time, don't let him call for backup."

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

"I dunno...make him promise or something."

"...Y'know, for someone claimin' to be the grandkid of a legendary warrior, you don't seem to be very experienced in combat. Then again, you're, what, 6 months old?"

"Hey, my daddy fought a Great Dane 5 times his size when he was 6 months old," snapped the pup. Blue Moon laughed, which caused Kintora to huff. "I'm not staying here anymore. I'm going home, and if that jerk Cujo tries to stop me, I'll use my family's Battouga on him!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's cute kid, now-kid, what the hell are ya doin'!?"

Kintora stood at the edge of the platform, staring at the filthy water sloshing around beneath her. Her mind wandered to her coat. Oh, how she dreaded getting it even filthier...but she had to go home. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Kintora jumped.

"Kid!" Blue Moon cried as he got to his feet. He peered over the edge of the platform, seeing Kintora's body disappear into the water with a splash. Her head soon reemerged, and she gritted her teeth in a disgusted agony as she paddled along the current. There was a splash behind her and she looked around. Blue Moon was wading after her, panic glowing in his eye. "Kid, if Mona finds out ya got yourself killed on my watch-"

"I won't die," Kintora cut him off. "I know what I have to do now. I won't get caught off-guard."

"Kid, you're bein' stupid. Get back here, now."

"I'm a Ohu soldier, and an Ohu soldier fights to the death!"

Kintora swam until she reached the tunnel's end. Squeezing through the bars, Kintora ran out into the open, running into the city. Behind her, Blue Moon ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding. He refused to let this child die; not only would Mona never forgive him, but Blue Moon couldn't live with himself knowing he sent an innocent child to her death.

* * *

Cujo was blanketed in the shadows of his stone bridge, his eyes staring harshly at his gathering followers. It was a large pack he ruled, about 100 strays in total, and they all lived to serve him. Some hunted for him, some acted as his guard, the women were his wives and the children were his heirs. Every dog in his pack belonged solely to him...well, except for one.

Cujo's gaze fell on Mona, who sat near the front, two guards sitting beside her. His tongue ran hungrily over his fangs. How he desired the Akita, with her graceful body, bold eyes, and gentle smile. To have her was to have one of the most beautiful females in his harem, and that only meant one thing: gorgeous offspring. But alas, Mona was quite stubborn despite her usual kind nature, and denied every offer Cujo had made her. He just couldn't understand it; to be the wife of a powerful male, and to bear magnificent children...how could she say no to that? Still, Cujo was patient. He always got his way, no matter how long it took.

"Mona," he began as he walked towards the female. "Lovely seeing you today."

"Hmph," Mona grunted, turning her head away. Cujo chuckled softly.

"Now, now, Mona, I only want to talk," he said, the casual tone in his voice making Mona feel sick to her stomach. "Perhaps we could talk about puppies…"

"I'm not saying anything," Mona suddenly snapped. "You're not going to hurt her."

"Now, Mona, I only ask you to obey my laws. Tell me, what's so bad about bringing me a puppy?" The Akita bitch stared at him in disbelief.

"You honestly think I'd just hand over a puppy to be killed?" Mona growled, her teeth bared. "You're a sick man. Rot in hell, you bastard."

There were gasps; some dogs even backed away in terror. No one had ever dared to speak that way to Cujo, especially when surrounded by his toughest guards. Cujo continued to smile, although the fury in his eyes gave it away that a nerve had been touched. Before Mona knew it, she was thrown to the ground, Cujo's paw holding her head down. Mona glared up at him, but still, he continued to smile.

"You're trying my patience," said Cujo. "Believe me when I say this, Mona: I can only tolerate so much. Now, be a good girl and tell me where the puppy is."

Mona growled, and bit at Cujo's arm. With a snarl, she lifted Cujo's body over her head, before flinging him into some nearby guards. She then backed away, watching with narrowed eyes as the male untangled himself from his apologetic fighters. Upon getting to his feet, he turned, giving Mona hate-filled glare, the longing that once existed within them gone.

"So that's how it is," he said quietly. "Stupid woman, you should know better than to strike your superior." He nodded to his men, and Mona soon found herself surrounded. She still stood firm, not afraid to fight for what she knew what right. "It's time you learned some respect, woman. And your lesson starts right...about...now."

* * *

Because Kintora was small and had four legs instead of three, she was able to avoid being caught by the slower Blue Moon. Using the scent of the sewage water that was stuck in her coat, Kintora was able to sneak her way through the alleys, until eventually, she reached the park. In the distance, she could see the gather of dogs. They all seemed to be watching some sort of fight between one dog and about 5 or 6 others. Kintora squinted; one of them looked strangely familiar…

"Little brat! There you are!"

Kintora's heart nearly exploded out of her chest as she turned, seeing Blue Moon advancing towards her. He stared down at her sternly.

"You need to get back to the tunnels, kid," he barked. "Mona gave ya a chance to live. Are ya just gonna waste it?"

"I made a promise that I would get home," Kintora argued. "And this Cujo guy's in my way. I have to fight him if I want to leave."

"Enough of that talk, kid." Blue Moon caught Kintora in his jaws, picking her up. "We're goin' back to the tunnels right-" Blue Moon froze, staring in the direction of the park. Kintora followed his gaze, and saw that he was watching the fight. "M-Mona!"

Kintora's eyes widened when she realized that it was, indeed, Mona fighting. Or at least, trying to. The white of Mona's fur was a light pink as the blood from her wounds stained it. Regardless of the injuries scattered across her body, she continued to fight, even as the larger dogs scratched, bit, and bashed her body. Blue Moon's jaw fell, but he couldn't find anything to say. As Kintora landed on her paws, she looked up as him, seeing his massive body quiver like a leaf in a gale.

"Well?" she asked him. "C'mon! We have to help her!"

"W-We can't," the Dane choked. "Wh-What can we do? You're young, I'm handicapped, and they outnumber us."

"Blue Moon, I know you don't believe it, but my father fought and beat a grown dog without any help. My grandfather took off the head of a bear with a single blow. My great-grandfather created a legendary army that still exists to this day, and led it on his own. If they can do that, we can do this."

"I...I…" Blue Moon wasn't sure how to respond, and could only watch helplessly as his friend was being beaten near to death. Kintora huffed impatiently and rushed off towards the park, leaving Blue Moon behind.

Meanwhile, Mona was reaching her limit. Her blood stained the grass, and her body shook as she tried to stay on her feet. Surrounding her was Cujo's men, who were also wounded, but not as much as Mona was. Cujo approached her, smiling proudly.

"Now, my dear Mona," he cooed. "Have you come to your senses?"

Mona snapped at him with her fangs, causing him to step back. His smile faded, and he smacked Mona's face with a paw. With a yelp, Mona fell to the ground, Cujo's paw pinning her head down once more.

"I see," Cujo said. "Another round of punishment it is, then." He parted his jaws, ready to deliver a painful bite, when a reflection of light hit his eye. "Ah! What the hell?"

Cujo turned, squinting in the direction of the light. Mona and the rest of the pack did the same. Approaching them was a tiny puppy with a dirty, silver coat, and golden stripes on her back and legs. Despite the filth staining her silver fur, the golden stripes were untouched, and glistened as if they were made of metal. The light from the stripes caused many to shield their eyes. Mona gasped.

"No…" she whispered, her ears falling. Cujo turned to her, his lips curled back in a cocky smile.

"Well, well, well," he said. "What have we here?"

"No! Don't!" Mona tried to get up, but Cujo's men pinned her down once again. Cujo laughed as he rushed towards Kintora. Kintora only ran faster, growling angrily. Her eyes began to glow a bright white. With a fierce yell, she jumped and began to spin, becoming a disk of gold and silver. Cujo's eyes widened, and he skidded to a stop, mouth agape.

"What…?" he whispered. "I-Impossible...it can't be…"

Mona, who had been struggling to get free, was now lying still, watching in awe as the spinning puppy grew closer to her target.

"Is that…?" she began, but she couldn't finish.

"The Battouga…" Blue Moon murmured from the park's edge. Every dog watching was filled with the same sense of wonder and amazement. The puppy was performing the legendary move of the Bearhound family, the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga. None of these dogs had ever seen it before in their lives, only hearing about it in the stories told to them by their mothers and fathers. Many dismissed it as a simple story, meant only to entertain puppies, while others did truly believe in it. Now there was no denying that the legend was real, and that the granddaughter of the legendary bearhound was about to kill the Boss of the City Dogs.

"Boss!" called Ronald. "Look out!"

The Labrottie didn't move. Even after coming down from his stupor, the sunlight reflecting from Kintora's stripes flashed him with a bright light. He couldn't see, he couldn't dodge; he was completely vulnerable to the attack. Finally…

CRUNCH!

Kintora's jaws sank into Cujo's left eye, breaking the surrounding socket and crushing the eyeball. Cujo let out a blood-curdling scream, and he shook his head rapidly, desperate to throw the puppy off.

"Let go!" he wailed. "You damn brat! Get the hell off of me!" With one final toss of his head, Kintora flew off, doing a flip and landing on her paws in the grass. She struck a warrior's pose, her fangs bared and prepared to draw more blood. She watched as Cujo shivered violently, his breaths low and heavy. They grew louder and faster as the rage boiled within the large male. Suddenly he turned, a paw raised to strike.

"LITTLE BRAT!" he roared as he brought the paw down on Kintora.

"Kid!" both Blue Moon and Mona called from where they were.

SLICE!

Kintora yelped as Cujo's claws raked against her face, creating four large, crimson streaks. The puppy staggered back, wiping the blood from her eyes. Cujo saw this as his chance to attack, and advanced on her, maw agape.

"DIE!"

"NO!"

Cujo was stopped dead in his tracks, Blue Moon's jaws gripping his neck. The old Dane growled.

"That's enough, Cujo," he said. "Your battle's with me." Cujo gave him a smirk.

"You're trespassing here, old fool," he spat. "I told you I'd kill you if you came back here."

"I'm tired of sittin' by and lettin' ya terrorize innocent dogs. I'm challengin' ya to a rematch, Cujo. If you win, I die and you continue bein' a tyrant. If I win, you're outta here."

"Hehehe…" Cujo laughed sinisterly. "Silly Blue Moon...Don't you remember the last time you faced me?" Cujo looked at his guard dogs and nodded. They left Mona, approaching Blue Moon and Cujo. Mona scrambled to her paws.

"Wait!" she called. "You cowards! Get back here and fight me!"

"We aren't finished either," growled Kintora to Cujo. Blue Moon turned to Kintora, a mixture of sadness and amusement shimmering in his eye.

"Kid," he muttered. "Go with Mona, and get out of here while ya can. Neither of ya need to see this."

"No!" Kintora barked, running at Cujo. "An Ohu soldier doesn't let their fellow soldiers die!"

SMACK!

Kintora was sent flying by Blue Moon's paw.

"Don't interfere," sighed the Dane. He then turned to Cujo. "Let's get this over with."

"Gladly," hissed Cujo in reply, he and his men surrounding the old male. Blue Moon crouched in a fighting position; if he was going to die, he'd die fighting.

With a roar, he raced forward, towards Cujo. He stuck to Cujo's left side, taking advantage of his damaged eye. His body slammed into Cujo's, knocking him down.

"What!?" Cujo exclaimed, now realizing his weakness. "That's not fair!"

"Gettin' your men to back ya up in a two-man fight's also cheatin'," replied the Dane. "Consider this a taste of your own medicine."

"S-Someone! Get him off me!"

Blue Moon heard someone coming from behind. He crouched, and suddenly leapt into the air, flipping and landing behind the dog.

CHOMP!

"Ahhh!" screamed the dog as Blue Moon's fangs sunk into his leg. The Dane was tempted to tear it off as revenge for his own injury, but upon seeing the other dogs approach him, another idea came to mind. With all his strength, he lifted the dog he'd bitten, and as the others came closer, he used the dog as a makeshift club, bashing his body into the other dogs. As he did this, however, he failed to notice Cujo circling around him, standing behind him…

"Blue Moon!" cried Mona. "Look out!"

It was too late. Cujo had sprung, landing on Blue Moon and biting into the back of his neck. The Dane howled in pain, staggering under Cujo's weight. Cujo sank his fangs in deeper, tearing viciously with all intent to kill. Mona sprinted at Cujo, tears collecting in her eyes in fear and rage.

"Let him go!" she roared. Kintora also approached the battle.

"Hey!" she yipped. "That's my opponent!"

Cujo's men ran towards the two females, surrounding them.

"Not so fast, girlies," hissed Ronald. Kintora positioned herself in the sunlight, allowing the brutes to be flashed with the reflecting light. They flinched and stepped back, allowing Mona and Kintora to pass by. They neared Cujo, and Kintora performed another Battouga aimed straight for the male's head. But suddenly, Cujo turned, holding Blue Moon's head in the Battouga's path. Mona's maw fell open.

"STOP!" she shouted at Kintora. Realizing what had happened, the puppy quickly pulled out of the attack, tumbling onto he ground with a grunt. Cujo laughed evilly.

"Foolish bitches," he sneered. "Don't come any closer, or the old bastard dies."

Mona froze, staring on in horror. Kintora growled.

"Coward!" she insulted him. "Stop using cheap tricks to win!"

"Shut it. Now be a good puppy, and wait for you turn to die."

Mona pushed Kintora back with a paw. "Sweetie...run...now!"

"Ah, ah, ah," said the Labrottie. "It's too late. Should've ran when you had the chance."

Suddenly, Mona felt several dogs pin her down. She yelped and struggled, but to no avail. Ronald and his two comrades aimed to catch Kintora, but the small Akita slipped between their legs, running back to the throng of dogs watching the scene. She gazed up at them, seeing nervous and terrified expressions on their faces.

"Hey," she began. "What are you guys doing just sitting around? Blue Moon and Mona are your packmates, right? Are you really gonna let them be killed?"

"N-No one goes against Cujo, or his guard," a dog whimpered timidly. "It's suicide!"

"But there are so many of you, and only a few of them. Sure, they're bigger and stronger, but together, you can fight back! My grandfather led an army of thousands against a gigantic demon bear. If he could do that, you can do this!"

"Kid," another dog barked. "You're Gin's granddaughter. His courage runs through your veins. We aren't like you."

"You have to try…" Kintora's eyes shimmered. Despite her desire to get home, she couldn't stand to see Blue Moon and Mona suffer anymore. "Please…"

"Little brat!" One of Cujo's men pounced at Kintora. "Prepare to die!"

Suddenly, three of the pack dogs jumped, meeting Cujo's soldier. They dragged him down with their combined weight, pinning him to the ground. One of them lifted their heads.

"Revolution!" he bellowed. "Down with Cujo!" There was a loud chorus of battlecries as the once fearful pack dogs now felt a new sense of courage and determination wash through them. Led by the granddaughter of the Silver Fang Legend, they charged at Cujo's men. The small group of dogs skidded to a stop, staring in terror as the army approached. Battle began, the rebel dogs easily taking down Cujo's small guard. They then surrounded Cujo, who was now without backup to call upon. He stared horrified as the sea of angry faces, all ready to pay him back for the years of abuse he'd put them through. The Labrottie glanced down at Blue Moon, who was still struggling in his grip. He sneered.

"Very clever, brat," he began. "But you've just sealed the old fool's fate!"

"Heheh…" the Dane suddenly chuckled. "Not quite, kid."

"Eh?" murmured Cujo, staring down at him. "What are you on about, old man?"

"You're not as big as ya think ya are," was all Blue Moon said, before he rolled over with ease, taking Cujo with him, and crushing the younger dog underneath his body. Cujo gasped as the sudden weight to his stomach knocked the wind out of him. Now free, Blue Moon rolled off of Cujo and stood. He hobbled over to Mona, who rushed to meet him.

"Blue Moon!" she cried, nuzzling him. She gazed up at him with moist, brown eyes. "Thank God...I thought...I thought you'd…"

"I know, I know," the old male shushed her, returning the gesture. "I wasn't gonna die, though. I was plannin' on buyin' time for you and the kid to escape, then I'd come join ya. But that was before…" He trailed off, looking at Kintora. The puppy was standing in the sunlight once again, and her stripes glowed beautifully. "That kid...heh...maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she is Gin's granddaughter…"

Kintora walked towards Cujo, who was now on his feet and cowering at the crowd staring him down.

"Well, Cujo, it's over," she said, an air of authority in her voice. "You've lost. Now you have to pay for your crimes." She looked to the City Dogs. "So what do you guys wanna do with him?"

There were many cries of "Death!" and "Banishment!" going around, but one voice rang out over the others.

"Wait!"

A dog stepped forward, bearing a very close resemblance to Cujo, except being a little younger.

"My name is Cujo Jr.," the dog began. "One of Cujo's first sons. Please...do not hurt my father. I-I know what he did was wrong...I wanted to stop him myself, but...I was just as afraid as everyone else. Cujo won't even hesitate to hurt his own puppies if we defy him...But Cujo has no men to hide behind anymore...This will be my chance to finally make things better." Cujo Jr. stood next to his father. "I will lead this pack and show my father the right way to treat others, but only when he has proven to be a good man, will he serve as my right hand. Does everyone agree to this?"

There was a contemplative silence, but eventually, there were murmurs of agreement. Kintora nodded.

"Then it's settled," she said. She shot Cujo a glare. "Be grateful you have someone who has hope for you. Remember that the next time you act like a selfish jerk."

Cujo was tempted to growl, but given his predicament, he held back. With that, Blue Moon and Mona began to walk off.

"C'mon, kid," Blue Moon called. "Let's get ya home."

"You guys'll take me to Japan?" asked Kintora hopefully as she bounced after them.

"Well that's where home is, isn't it?" Mona chuckled. "Besides, seeing the legendary Ohu soldiers...that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"And this ol' bag of bones doesn't have many years left in 'im," added the Dane. "I wanna see this before I bite the dust."

Kintora nodded, and the trip began to make their way out of the park.

"Hold on! Granddaughter of Gin!"

The three turned, seeing a small bunch of the City Dogs bounding towards them, about 15 or so. Leading them was a young she-mutt.

"Please," the she-mutt barked as they approached. "Let us come with you! Let us see the legend!" Kintora wagged her tail and held up her head proudly.

"Of course! Everyone can come and see my awesome grandpa! Let's go!"

"Oh dear…" whispered Mona to Blue Moon. "I hope this doesn't turn out to be Cujo 2."

"Don't worry," replied Blue Moon. "I won't let that happen. Not again."

With that, Kintora, Blue Moon, Mona, and the 15 City Dogs were off, heading west and beginning their long journey to Japan. It would be around 42 days until they reached the coast, but they all had determination. Kintora would need to hurry, however, for back at home, the Demons were preparing their attack.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

 _-Japan-_

"Get back here, enemy scum!"

"You want me? You'll have to catch me."

Gurē slipped through the forest undergrowth, his paws silent against the dirt. He leapt over logs and stones, and swerved around trees with impressive agility and speed. He glanced over his shoulder. The rustling of the foliage behind him let him know that Sunatora was hot on his trail. Gurē wasn't worried, at least not about being caught; he was far faster than Sunatora was. Still, what Sunatora lacked in speed, he made up with in tenacity. Losing him was out of the question. He skidded to a stop, just as Sunatora emerged from the bushes behind him.

"Ha!" the young brindle said. "So you realized you couldn't get away, huh?" Sunatora got into a fighting stance. "Get ready, 'cause I'm gonna take you down, like a real Dog!"

Gurē simply stood where he was, watching and waiting. Sunatora took this as his chance to attack, and with a yell, he pounced. Suddenly, Gurē leaped into the air, over Sunatora's head. Sunatora gasped.

"Huh?" he cried as he turned. Gurē had latched onto a tree behind him, scurrying up the side and onto one of the low-hanging branches. He stared down at his brother, smiling coyly. But Sunatora wasn't deterred, and charged at the tree, jumping at it, trying to mimic his brother's actions. Unfortunately, due to his bulky size, gravity pulled him to the ground much faster than he could climb. Sunatora landed on the forest floor, staring up at Gurē, who was lounging on the tree branch and looking very proud of himself.

"Can't climb up?" asked Gurē with a smirk. "That's too bad. Looks like I win."

"You must be crazy if you think I'm giving up that easily!" cried Sunatora. He took a few steps back and tried again, scratching at the bark in an effort to climb up, but still, he fell back on the ground. He tried again, and again, and again. Gurē watched, genuinely impressed by his brother's perseverance. Sunatora backed up once more, trying again...only to hit his paw on a small rock and end up tumbling on the ground. However, Sunatora didn't stop. He continued to tumble, his body beginning to form into a disk of fur and fangs. Gurē's eyes widened as the disk rammed into the roots of the tree with great force, tearing at the wood. Still, Sunatora continued spinning, and only seemed to go faster. He was cutting into the tree now, and Gurē gasped as he felt the tree jolt.

"S-Suna!" he called, but Sunatora kept going, cutting deeper and deeper into the tree until he shot out the other side. The tree began to tip over, and with a yelp, Gurē leapt to the next tree, clinging onto a branch just as the tree he was previously on toppled over with a great crash. Meanwhile, Sunatora had come to a stop, finally, collapsing on the ground. He lied there, motionless.

"Suna!?" yelled Gurē. "Are you ok?"

"...That was…" Sunatora slowly stood up. He turned, looking up at Gurē. On his face was the biggest smile Gurē'd ever seen. "SO COOL! Did you see that, Gurē!? Did you see how cool that was!?"

"Yeah…" Gurē murmured, still recovering from what just happened. "Was that...a Battouga?"

"I think so," replied Sunatora. "But...it was different what I saw Kintora do…" He looked back, seeing the tree he toppled over. "I didn't know it was strong enough to cut down tree like that, though."

"Gurē! Sunatora!"

Both puppies looked to see Akame and Gin arriving at the scene.

"We heard a loud noise in this direction," Gin explained. "Are you two al-" He cut himself off, seeing the fallen tree. "How on Earth…?"

"I did it," Sunatora announced, his chest swelling with pride. Gin and Akame went to inspect the damage to the tree's base, while Sunatora continued. "Gurē and I were playing, and he managed to climb up that tree." Akame looked up at Gurē, just now realizing the puppy was, indeed, up there. "I wanted to go after him, but I tripped and did this really weird Battouga, and I knocked down that tree."

"Impressive…" murmured the old Akita. "These certainly are the markings of a Battouga… Amazing how a puppy so young can be so powerful…"

"And I've never heard of a 6-month old climbing a tree so easily," Akame added, still looking up at Gurē. "I couldn't even successfully climb a tree until I was at least a year old. Can you get down, Gurē?"

"I think so...Hang on…" Gurē jumped from the branch and landed on his paws on the ground. He joined his Sunatora and Akame just as Gin finished his examination.

"Perhaps the two of you could do with...more advanced training. Wouldn't you agree, Akame?"

"Indeed," the Kishu agreed. Sunatora's tail wagged rapidly.

"Really?" he chirped. His grandfather nodded.

"I will talk to your father to see if it's alright, but I think a strong puppy such as yourself would do better training not here, but in Shikoku, home to some of the strongest dogs in Japan, including Benizakura, my old comrade." Sunatora looked as if he was about to pass out from excitement. Of all the dogs he'd heard about in the old war stories, Benizakura was one of his favorites. Known as the strongest dog in the world, Benizakura left Shikoku to aid his grandfather and the Ohu army in taking down Akakabuto and his army. He lost his life drowning the bear, Mosa, but his memory was never to be forgotten. To be given the chance to train in a place blessed by such noble paws...it was almost too much for Sunatora to handle.

"Yes…" the brindle whispered. "I want to go to Shikoku, grandpa. I want to become as strong as Benizakura was!"

"Good lad," Gin nodded. "You'll become a great man, just like him. I know you will."

As Sunatora began to imagine himself as the warrior he was going to become, Akame spoke to Gurē.

"And you, little one, will come with me to the village of the Kouga. You will learn to be a ganin."

"A ganin?" echoed Gurē breathlessly. Like Sunatora, he couldn't believe that he was being given the opportunity to become something amazing, a true contribution to the Ohu army. But rather than being excited like his brother, Gurē's mind was cloudy, filled with thoughts. Akame noticed a distant look appearing on his face.

"Hmm? What's the matter?"

"Huh?" Gurē looked up. "Oh, n-nothing, sir. Thank you, I'll become the best ganin I can be." While Akame wasn't completely convinced things were alright with the puppy, he decided to leave it alone. There were far more important things to worry about.

"Come now," the Kishu began walking back in the direction he and the old Leader came from. "Let's talk this over with Weed and Heizu."

"Oh, my little boys are growing up so fast…" Heizu cooed. Akame and Gin had explained their proposition to the Leader and his wife, who agreed that it would be best for Ohu's future leaders to have some extra skill in combat. The mother Kai licked her sons' heads, tears forming in her eyes. "It seems only yesterday you were still nursing. Now, you're going off to become real soldiers." Tears began to roll down her cheeks, which Sunatora tenderly licked away.  
"Don't cry, Mama," he said, smiling comfortingly. "You know we'll come back."

"I'm not ready to let you go…" said Heizu quietly. "Not after…" She trailed off, her ears falling back. A solemn silence fell over the dogs as Kintora came to mind. Weed walked over to his mate, giving her a nuzzle.

"Oh, Heizu…" he murmured. "I know you miss our daughter. We all do. But I believe she'd doing whatever she can to make it back home. While there's nothing we can do to help her physically, we must have hope for her. We can't spend our time holding on to the sad things; we have to keep living life as best we can. It's all we can do until she comes back." Heizu nodded.

"Mmm," she said. "Alright. I'll send my little soldiers off with a smile." Heizu did just that, her tail swishing gently. "My sons...you have the blood of great dogs in your veins. I know you'll do us proud. Take care of yourselves out there, alright?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Of course, Mother."

Heizu stepped forward, nuzzling her sons one last time, before standing by her husband. Gin and Akame walked to the puppies.

"We'll leave today," announced Gin. "Sunatora, I'll take you to Musashi. He knows Shikoku and the fighting dogs better than anyone. He'll get you the training you need. Gurē, you will go with Akame to the Kouga village. It will be a while before we all see each other again. Good luck, my grandsons."

With one final goodbye to their parents and to each other, Sunatora and Gurē parted ways with their older guides. Akame and Gurē left for the Kouga village immediately, while Sunatora and Gin found the old Tosa. Musashi agreed to take Sunatora to Shikoku, knowing a special friend that could train any dog into a champion fighter. The heat of noon had come when it was Sunatora's time to leave Fatugo Pass. Despite going in different directions, both brothers' hearts were filled with determination. But only time would tell if they'd become the great men they dreamed of becoming.

* * *

"Finally...Toshimitsu...we're here…"

Tears of joy fell from Tesshin's eyes as he saw Gajou, the light of the moon reflecting off the stone. It'd been nearly three nights since the ambush from the shinobi bears, and, despite being battered and bruised, the two remaining Kouga dogs had finally returned to Fatugo Pass. Still carrying his comrade on his back, Tesshin staggered towards the rocky structure.

Weed, he thought. I'm almost there.

A group of sentry dogs, who were standing on the fortress' wooden supports, spotted movement from the edge of the forest. They sprinted towards the approaching dogs.

"Who goes there?" one of them barked.

"It's me, Tesshin," Tesshin called. "And my comrade, Toshimitsu." Tesshin collapsed as the sentry dogs surrounded him and Toshimitsu. The other Kouga slipped off Tesshin's back, lying by his side, equally exhausted.

"Tesshin?" echoed another dog. "You're back?"

"Yes," Tesshin replied with a slow nod.

"But where are the other Kouga?"

Tesshin looked down, unable to bring himself to retell the tragic events of that night. Toshimitsu decided to speak up.

"They...they're all dead."

"What!?" The sentry dogs exclaimed in unison.

"How can that be?" cried a dog. "The Kouga are very powerful!"

"We were ambushed," explained Toshimitsu, shivering at the memory. "The bears...they weren't regular bears like we thought...they were shinobi like we are."

"How dreadful!"

"It can't be possible!"

"It's true," Toshimitsu continued. "But the worst of it all was...they were led by...by…" He trailed off, gritting his teeth and struggling to hold back tears.

"By?" a dog repeated.

"Chukabuto!" Tesshin suddenly cied out, tearing up. "The second Demon Bear!"

The sentry dogs began to panic. One Demon was bad enough, but two? And shinobi bears that could wipe out nearly all of the Kouga? There was no hiding it now; a new threat had formed in Mount Azuma, one that could no longer be ignored. One sentry spoke.

"Taiyo," he said. "Relay this message to Weed. We'll take Tesshin and Toshimitsu to the hot spring."

"Yes," the appointed dog, Taiyo, replied. He turned tail and headed back to Gajou, going inside and finding Weed and Heizu's den.

"Boss!" he yelled, startling the young Leader awake. "Tesshin and Toshimitsu have returned...and they've brought grave news…"

* * *

The dogs of Ohu were now gathered before Gajou. With the news of the unprovoked ambush and the second Demon, Weed realized what had to be done: he had to declare war on the bears. Weed stood atop Gajou, Heizu and Gin at his sides. Gin's eyes wandered over the pack, counting the numbers of dogs they had. During the war against Hougen, the Ohu army managed to gather 100 dogs, thanks to Kyoshiro and Moss. After Buruge, Bat, and Kite joined Ohu, their combined armies brought the total to nearly 1000. But Gin knew this wouldn't been enough. In the  
old war, 1,8000 dogs came to Ohu, and only 700 survived in the end. That was just against one Demon. This was a far worse enemy, and hundreds, if not thousands more dogs would be needed if they wanted even the slightest chance of victory. The old Akita talked this over with his son. Now Weed would have to decide what the army's next move would be.

"My friends!" Weed called out, bringing the chattering soldiers to a silence. "I'm sure by now you all know that, unfortunately, the Kouga clan was attacked by another Demon Bear and his shinobi." He paused, seeing Moss shaking in the crowd, most likely infuriated at the thought of nearly losing what could be considered his second son. "I see now that we can no longer be civil. We have to destroy this new enemy, for the good of dogs and humans. And to do that, we'll need more dogs to help us. I'll split the army into four groups, one for each direction, and you will all journey across the country to gather soldiers. I'll give you all one month, and we will meet in Mount Azuma when that time has passed. Is this understood?"

"Yes!" the unanimous cry rang out. With that, Weed proceeded to break up his soldiers. Leading the groups would be Weed, Gin, Kyoshiro, and Ken. Staying behind to look over the Dog Paradise would be the most of the Ohu veterans, as well as 100 more soldiers at their command.

"This is bullshit," Kurotora snapped as he watched the four groups leave the stronghold. "We may be old, but we've still got our warrior's strength. We should've been allowed to go." At his side, Ben chuckled, glancing in the direction of his friend's voice.

"Settle down, old friend," he said. "Fatugo Pass still needs protecting. And who better to keep the peace then the killers of Akakabuto. It'll be just like old times."

"Hmph," the old Kai huffed. "Well, when you put it that way, then I suppose that's fine. But the battle against the new Demons will be in Mount Azuma. We're not getting any action."

"You never know, Kuro," Cross spoke up. "Someone may try to take advantage of most of the army's absent. We'll need to be prepared for that."

"We'll see," grumbled Kurotora. "We'll see if anyone's stupid enough to attack while the great Kurotora's here."

Ben playfully bumped into him, knocking him over, and Cross laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile at Mount Azuma, Chukabuto's head lifted off the floor of his cave, his eyes two glowing emeralds in the darkness. Ohu was on the move, he could sense it. Excitement swelled within him as he stood up, exiting the cave. It was now time to begin the bear's first true attack. He looked up at the trees, spotting his sleeping shinobi.

" **My shinobi,** " he roared. " **Awaken!** "

Slowly, the ninja bears stirred, and seeing their commander, they quickly jumped out of their resting spots to meet him.

" **Yes, Master Chukabuto?** " said the shinobi.

" **The Ohu soldiers have left Fatugo Pass unprotected,** " explained the Brown Demon. " **I believe it's time we take the next part of my brother's kingdom. I will send some of you to Fatugo Pass. If there are any dogs foolish enough to be there, kill them. We can't leave a single Ohu soldier alive. Is this understood?** "

" **Yes, Master.** "

" **Suzumebachi,** " Chukabuto called. The bear in question stepped forward. This bear was the same bear whose eye had been stabbed when Tesshin made his escape. While many other warlords in Japan would kill their follower for such a mistake, Chukabuto perfered to give him a second chance. After all, Suzumebachi was his top student, and the Brown Demon didn't want to lose a valuable contribution to his clan. " **Suzumebatchi, this is your chance to redeem yourself. Take ten shinobi with you to Fatugo Pass and obtain it. I will not accept anything less than a victory. Return when Fatugo Pass has been siezed...or don't come back at all.** " Suzumebachi bowed.

" **I will not fail you again, my lord,** " promised the one-eyed bear. " **Fatugo Pass will be taken.** "

" **Very good,** " Chukabuto nodded. He began to walk off. " **You're all dismissed.** "

Suzumebachi began to gather his ten shinobi, while the remaining shinobi returned to their trees. Chukabuto walked along the mountain trail, following his brother's scent. He was up now, and he didn't feel tired, so he decided to pay the Black Demon a midnight visit. After a few minutes, he arrived at the clearing his brother ate and slept in. Kurokabuto was there, sleeping on his side. Surrounding him was his personal guard, the top fighters in his army. Quietly. Chukabuto made his way around the guards, and rested beside his brother, watching him sleep. For a moment, Chukabuto thought the larger bear looked almost peaceful...until he noticed Kurokabuto's claws digging into the dirt, his his teeth were biting so hard into his lip, a small pool of blood was forming at the base of his chin. Sighing, Chukabuto wrapped an arm around him, holding him close.

" **Relax,** " he whispered into Kurokabuto's ear. " **It's alright. I'm here. Don't be afraid, I'm right here.** "

The combination of Chukabuto's voice, scent, and embrace eventually calmed the Black Demon down. His uncovered eye opened, staring directly at Chukabuto.

" **Ch-Chu…** " He began, his voice quivering. " **Y-You're here…** "

" **Of course I am,** " replied the smaller male gently. " **You know I'm always here for you, brother.** " Kurokabuto was quiet for a moment. Chukabuto carefully licked at the fur covering the Black Demon's other eye. " **Was it...that dream again?** " Kurokabuto nodded. " **I thought so. My brother...There's nothing to fear now that I'm here. I know I wasn't around before, but I'm making up for that now.** "

" **I know,** " Kurokabuto rumbled. " **It's just...the nightmares just won't stop...No matter how much I tell myself I'm free from those humans, I just keep thinking about what they did to me...what their dogs did to me…** " He rested his paw on his covered eye, shuddering. " **...I just want to kill them all…** " He breathed heavily as tears began to flow, the anger and pain from long ago overpowering him.

" **Shh...shh…** " Chukabuto nuzzled his brother. " **You will get your revenge soon enough, brother dear. Listen...I have sent some of my men to Fatugo Pass. The Ohu army has left it unattended. Any dogs still remaining there will be killed easily, and you can have a new mountain to call yours, as well as some tasty dog meat.** "

" **Really? You'd really do that for me, Chu?** "

" **Of course. Consider it my gift to you for all those years I've missed with you.** "

" **Chu…** " Despite his tears, Kurokabuto couldn't help but smile. " **You've done so much for me...I wouldn't be here now had it now been for you. Thank you.** " He and his brother affectionately butted heads. Even though they were demons, they had the ability to feel love, and truly, there was no greater power than a love between brothers. The rest of that night, Chukabuto stayed with his brother, and Kurokabuto dreamed not of the pain from his past, but of the his new kingdom, one where humans and dogs were could never hurt him again.

* * *

 _-?-_

"Hello? Who is there? Who was the one who summoned me?"

…

"Oh...hello, sir. Who might you be? Wait...that aura...that fighting spirit...You are Riki, are you not?"

"Indeed. Greetings, young shaman. I have a request to ask of you."

"Very well. What do you need of me?"

"My great-granddaughter was brought to your country several days ago. Right now, she's making a journey across America to make it back to Japan. I feel she may pass through your territory."

"Ah...she must be the source of the powerful energy I have been feeling...a powerful beast rests here in this realm. Could it be tied to her?"

"I believe so. That's why I'm asking you to awaken it. A danger has come to Japan, and I feel this power will save my people."

"I will do what must be done, sir. I look forward to your greatgranddaughter's arrival to my tribe's territory."

"Thank you, shaman. You don't realize what a great service you're doing for us."

"I am happy to help, good spirit. I must return to the world of the living, now, just as I feel you must return to watch over your people."

"Of course. Farewell, shaman."

"Until our paths meet again, Riki of Ohu."

* * *

 _-America-_

The smell of fresh kill filled Kintora's nose, pulling her out of a pleasant slumber. She opened her eyes to her pack of City Dogs sitting and eating breakfast in the forest they'd settled in the night before. The puppy yawned, getting to her paws. Nearby, Mona and Blue Moon looked up from the fawn they were sharing.

"Awake, dear?" said Mona.

"Mmm-hmm," Kintora nodded, padding over to the duo. She licked her lips, looking up at them expectantly. "I'm hungry."

"Well, there's a whole forest full of prey you can hunt in," replied Blue Moon.

"I don't hunt back in Ohu. The older dogs do it for me."

"So, you can fight, but you can't hunt? Kinda odd for a wild dog, don't you think?"

"So what? A pack's supposed to take care of its princess."

"Look, kid," Blue Moon leaned forward to look her in the eyes. "Everything can't just be handed to you on a silver platter. If you want to eat, you'll have to do it for yourself." Kintora pouted.

"That's not fair!" she complained, stamping her paw. Mona, taking pity, began to stand up. Blue Moon rested a paw on her shoulder.

"No, no," he told the Akita. "She's Gin's granddaughter. This shouldn't be problem for her." He looked at Kintora. "Well, kid? What's it gonna be? Will you hunt like a true wild dog, or starve? It's your choice."

Kintora stamped her paws in annoyance, but Blue Moon wasn't swayed. Seeing as she had no choice, Kintora reluctantly rushed off into the woods, muttering under her breath. Mona looked back at Blue Moon in concern.

"I hope that wasn't too harsh…" she murmured. "She still quite young."

"She's not like other puppies," the old Dane pointed out. "She has the power of a full-grown dog inside her. She just needs to use it. I doubt anyone's ever made her do anything on her own before, if those stripes are anything to go by. But just giving a kid everything they want never ends well."

"Well…" Mona sighed, remembering Cujo. "You're not wrong there...Still, I'd like to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. After everything that happened back in the city, I…"

"No need to explain yourself," interrupted Blue Moon. "Go on ahead." With a nod, Mona got up and walked in the direction Kintora had gone. But before she disappeared into the woods, she stopped and turned back.

"That doesn't mean you get to eat all the fawn while I'm gone, alright?" she said, giving the Dane a serious look. Blue Moon chuckled.

"Alright, alright, jeez…"

Mona disappeared into the flora, while Blue Moon watched with a thoughtful smile.

 _She's becoming so much like you every day, Halia_ , he thought.

* * *

"Hmph...stupid old man...making me hunt…" Kintora kicked over a pebble in her frustration. She sniffed at the ground, trying to pick up a prey scent. "I'm too special to hunt. My stripes'll get all dirty if I have to chase something down. I'm already a mess from the city. Ugh...I can't wait to get home…"

Kintora picked up the scent of water, and ran her tongue over her lips. Where there was water, there was fish, and Kintora hadn't had fish in quite some time. It seemed something good would come out of this day. After a quick job through the forest, Kintora came across the river. As she hoped, there were fish swimming in it. Licking her lips, Kintora dove her head into the water, her jaws snapping.

 _Come on, you dumb fish, just jump in my mouth and make this easy for both of us,_ she thought.

But as Kintora tried to fish, there was movement in the shrubs nearby. The dark eyes of a female Whippet peered out of the shadows.

"Silver pelt, golden stripes," muttered the Whippet. "Yes, this is the one the bosses are looking for." She glanced back at her three followers, a Beagle, A Yellow Labrador, and a massive Newfoundland. "Annabelle, can you pick up her scent from here?" Annabelle, the Beagle, nodded.

"The smell of human garbage is all over her," she commented, her nose quivering. "Not to mention blood...and a very faint scent of lavender dog shampoo. I can track her easily if she runs."

"Very good," the Whippet said. "Now...on my signal...we rush her. We won't give her a chance to react. Get ready…"

The Whippet stepped forward, followed by her team. She counted down the seconds until they'd launch their attack in 3...2...1…

"Excuse me!"

The Whippet froze, watching as a small group of dogs approached Kintora. The puppy's head shot out of the water, her eyes wide in surprise. The Whippet cursed.

"Great…" she sneered. "Now we'll have to think of a new strategy…"

"Shall we rush out and kill them?" asked the Newfoundland.

"No. Let's see how this goes first."

"Who are you?" Kintora asked the newcomers. A male mutt stepped forward, bowing his head.

"My name is Snow," he replied. "My pack and I come from New Jersey, south of this state. Word's been going around across the country that Gin's granddaughter is here...we wanted to see if that was true, so that we might go to the Dog Paradise with you."

"Really?" Kintora beamed excitedly. "Yes, I am Gin's granddaughter, and of course you can join me. The more, the merrier, right?"

"Haha...thank you, miss…" Snow licked his chops. "Truly, you are Gin's granddaughter…" He glanced at a Papillon standing beside him. "Cot C...thank her for us, will you?"

With a shrill bark, the Papillon attacked, his jaws clamping around Kintora's neck. Kintora yelped in panic. Snow snickered.

"Stupid bitch…" he spat. "Someone related to Gin wouldn't be so naive. Still, imagine how much respect I'd get with the pelt of a legendary's granddaughter in my possession."

"You...you asshole!" Kintora snarled. "Try and kill me! I'll end all of you with my grandfather's technique!"

"Put a sock in it, brat," Cot C snarled, his fangs beginning to sink in. Kintora let out an angry bark as she twisted her head back, grasping the Papillon's neck. They were now in a death grip, one trying to kill the other. The Whippet watched on, an idea coming to mind. But suddenly…

"Kintora!"

Mona suddenly appeared from the bushes, diving at Cot C. She snatched the small male in her jaws, ripping him off Kintora and flinging his body away. She stood over Kintora, growling.

"Just stay behind me, dear," Mona said. Kintora stamped her paw.

"No fair!" she barked. "I was gonna take care of these jerks!"

"Heh," Snow scoffed. "Well kill both of you. Doesn't matter to me as long as I get that pelt." He looked at his followers. "Surround them."

At Snow's command, the two females were surrounded. The Whippet's ears perked.

"This is our chance," she whispered to her comrades. "Let's go!"

The team of four charged out of their hiding place just as the battle began to start. Snow glanced over at them, snarling agitatedly.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped. "This is our battle! Unless you four want to die as well?" The Whippet shot at the mutt with lightening-fast speed, darting past him. Before Snow could realize what happened, his throat suddenly exploded in a fountain of blood. With a weak croak of death, the mutt fell over, forever motionless.

"Boss!" Snow's dogs cried. The Whippet stood over Snow's body, casually licking blood from her claws.

"Folks like you sicken me," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "Stooping so low as to attack innocent women and children. And for what? Recognition based on some old Japanese tale? How pathetic. You all should leave, or else you'll suffer his fate." The Whippet kicked Snow's body to emphasize her point. Snow's dogs, terrified, decided not to take any chances and rushed off in a panic.

A few moments passed as things settled down. The four strangers faced Kintora and Mona, who stared at them in a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Er...thank you…" Mona said slowly. "Who are you?"

"Former guard dogs," replied the Whippet. "But the humans we worked for were cruel to us, so we left them. We've lived in this forest for the last four years, protecting any innocent dog passing through. Are you both alright?"

"Yes," Mona said, holding a protesting Kintora closer to her. "We'll just be heading back to our group now." The Whippet stepped towards Mona.

"We can accompany you back," she offered. "Not many dogs can let go of their boss being killed. They could come back and cause trouble for you."

"We have more dogs than them," Mona said, scooping up Kintora in her maw. "We'll be fine."

"Perhaps, but still, wouldn't it be better to be safe rather than sorry?" The Whippet looked down at Kintora. "For the child's sake?"

Mona was silent for a moment, also looking at Kintora. Kintora looked up at Mona, shaking her head. There was no way she'd be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. Mona stared at the Whippet.

"No thank you," she said firmly. The Whippet stared at her, causing the Akita to feel somewhat intimidated. Still, Mona was ready to defend Kintora with her life, her stance proved that. The Whippet decided to back off.

"Very well," she said. "But my team is constantly patrolling this forest if you ever need help."

Mona nodded, before taking Kintora away.

"But, Mona, I'm still hungry!" Kintora cried as the older female vanished into the undergrowth. The four dogs stood where they were for a moment, before the Whippet spoke again.

"Annabelle, track them and report back to me."

"Yes, Mielikki."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

 _-Japan-_

It had been a few hours since Weed and his comrades left Fatugo Pass. They were following the Omono River, and had decided to stop and rest in order to talk about where they would go first to look for new comrades. As dogs listed possible locations they could search, Weed noticed his wife looking as if she wanted to say something, before stopping herself.

"Hmm?" he murmured. "Heizu? What is it?"

Everyone stared at Heizu intensely, most fearing that she was going to complain about something, as females were expected to do by the men of Ohu. It was quite the surprise when she announced that she'd be joining the search for soldiers, rather than stay at the Dog Paradise like Cross and Reika. Heizu was quick to insist that she was as strong as any male, and could make the journey, but there were those who were waiting for that moment when Heizu showed her true colors as a true female. It seemed now, this was that moment.

"Well…I was thinking about my old home…in Takeo," Heizu began. "My father and his pack of 600 live in the plains. I can lead us there, but...my father wouldn't be too happy to see me...not since I ran away to come to Ohu."

"It's alright," Weed said. "I can talk to him. I bet we can come to some understanding."

"My father's not a very easy man to talk to," Heizu warned. "He's a hothead, and not even your patience would be enough, I fear."

"You doubt our leader's patience, woman?" a dog barked, causing Heizu to shoot him a nasty look.

"Settle down," commanded Weed. He then smiled at Heizu. "Trust me, love, I think I can do this. Kindness can change any man, even one as stubborn as you say your father is. Everything will be fine."

 _For your sake, I hope you're right..._ Heizu thought.

"Everyone!" Weed yelled. "We'll be going to the Saga Prefecture first! Is this understood?"

"Yes, Leader!" was the mighty reply. Weed nodded to Heizu.

"Lead the way, Heizu."

Taking a deep breath and praying that all would go well, Heizu took the lead, and thus, the journey to Takeo began.

-America-

Mona watched quietly as Kintora feasted on a wood pigeon she caught on their way back to the pack's camp. Neither of them had mentioned what happened to anyone, but while Kintora was content to forget about it and enjoy her meal, Mona couldn't help but feel that their meeting with the Whippet and her comrades wasn't something that should be forgotten.

"Welcome back."

Mona looked up, seeing Blue Moon sitting down next to her, the half-eaten fawn in his jaws.

"Still hungry?" he asked, setting it down. "Saved ya the rest."

"Thanks…" Mona took a few nibbles while the Dane settled down beside her.

"Something buggin' ya?"

"Ha…is it that obvious?"

"I can read ya like an open book, doll. Always could."

"Heh…well…Kintora got into some trouble out there. This group of dogs attacked her. I don't know the circumstances exactly, but she was almost killed when I showed up." Mona flinched as Blue Moon growled angrily. "N- Now, don't get upset…The pack that lives here showed up and took care of them before we could be hurt."

"The pack that lives here?" Blue Moon repeated, tilting his head. "No…this forest isn't owned by any dog pack, at least, I haven't heard anything about it."

"They say they've been here for four years…are you sure you haven't heard of them?"

"I'm sure…still, I'm ten years old. Maybe my mind's going. Whoever they are, I'm glad they stepped in. Can't have my little girl get hurt again."

"Bluuuue," moaned Mona, trying her best not to laugh. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Eh, even if you get to be 100, you'll always be my little girl. Hehehehe-mmph!" Mona smirked at the Dane as he struggled to pull the half-eaten fawn out of his maw. The Akita winked.

"Sorry, you looked kind of hungry there, pops."

"You guys are weird," Kintora said, suddenly sitting in front of them. Her mouth was covered in wood pigeon feathers. Blue Moon scoffed.

"Don't say that before takin' a look at yourself first." He tidied her up with a few swipes of his tongue. "You're quite the messy eater for a princess." Kintora squirmed and giggled. "There. All pretty."

"Miss Kintora?"

The trio looked up to see one of the City Dogs. He bowed his head politely.

"We're all ready to get going, whenever you, Blue Moon and Mona are ready."

"Mmm," replied Kintora with a nod. She got up, her tail wagging. In less than a day's time, they'd exit Maine, and enter New Hampshire through the White Mountain National Forest. In one more they, they'd be in Vermont. Three states were conquered in the span of a week and Kintora couldn't help but feel proud. It would still be a long way, but every mile they ran, they were closer and closer to the coast...closer to making it to Japan. Kintora wondered if they missed her...she wondered how her brothers were doing…

"What's wrong, dear?" Mona's voice tore Kintora from her thoughts.

"Just thinking of home," she replied. "We should get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner we make it to Ohu." With a nod, Mona helped Blue Moon to his paws, and all three went to join the rest of the pack.

The bushes rustled as Annabelle sprinted off to find Mielikki and her comrades. They were eating fish at the river, waiting for Annabelle's report. Their heads lifted as Annabelle skidded to a stop before them, panting.

"They're preparin' to leave," she announced. Mielikki threw the remainder of her fish away, standing up.

"We must take this chance," she said. "If we want to get this job over quickly, we'll have to swipe her as they're leaving. Annabelle, you'll go first. You'll lead us there, and when the puppy is captured, you'll lead us to water so we can't be tracked." Annabelle nodded. She turned to the Newfoundland. "E-Town, you'll be in the back, in case any of those flea-bitten mutts try to follow. Kill them if you must, but do not let them get past you."

"Understood, ma'am," grunted the large male. Mielikki finally looked at the Lab.

"Gunner, you'll be with E-Town."

"Yes, Mielikki."

With a nod from the Whippet, Annabelle began leading the way back to Kintora's pack. As Annabelle had said, they were just about to leave the clearing. Kintora was standing near Mona and Blue Moon, blissfully unaware that she was being watched. Mielikki took a step forward, ready to charge.

"Ready, everyone?" she whispered.

"Yes," her followers replied in unison. With that, Mielikki and Annabelle shot out of the bushes, their bodies like a blur as they sped towards Kintora. Before anyone could realize what was going on, Kintora was snatched up by the Whippet, and carried off.

"This way, Miss!" Annabelle called to her leader, darting into the undergrowth.

"Kintora!" cried Mona, now realizing in horror what had happened.

"What the hell was that?" asked Blue Moon.

"The dogs that saved us from before," explained the Akita, beginning to run after the child-snatchers. "I knew they were up to no good. We have to stop them!"

"Mona! Look out!"

Mona yelped as she felt fangs lock around her neck. She was thrown back, hitting the ground hard. Slowly, she got up, seeing that it was the Lab from before that attacked her. Blue Moon charged at the Lab, fangs ready.

"Don't think you'll get away with doin' that!" he snapped. Gunner stared at him disinterestedly for a moment, before leaping past him, his claws raking down the old Dane's side. Panicking, Mona went to help him.

"No!" Blue Moon growled, staggering to his paws. Despite the two large gashes on his side, he still took a fighter's stance."Don't worry about me. Save the kid." Mona hesitated, but decided to obey.

"Come on!" she called to the rest of the City Dogs. "We need to follow those dogs!" The pack ran after Mielikki and Annabelle, when suddenly, the Newfoundland appeared before them, staring intensely at them with his cold, unfeeling eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said as he slowly advanced on them. Mona growled.

"Move," she demanded. "Before I make you." E-Town smirked, as if daring her to attack. Having finally lost her patience, Mona attacked, latching her fangs onto the brute's shoulder. He barely flinched, even as blood ran down his foreleg. Others followed in the attack, but no matter how many sets of teeth tore at his flesh, he didn't seem bothered at all. Mona let go, turning to the other City Dogs.

"The rest of you go," she commanded. "Find Kintora."

Gunner looked back, seeing the remaining City Dogs slip into the woods. He snarled.

"You big oaf…" he muttered irritably. He looked at Blue Moon, sneering. "You got lucky, old man." He turned to leave, only to feel his tail being bitten. "Wha-?" He began, before he was suddenly lifted into the sky by a strength that matched that of 10 males.

"On the contrary, brat," the Dane snarled, before twirling the Lab around. "I think this might be my lucky day!" Blue Moon threw Gunner into E-Town. The sudden force caught the Newfoundland off guard, and he and the dogs attacking him toppled over into a huge heap of fur. Blue Moon called to his comrades. "Go on, before they can recover!"

The City Dogs obeyed. Led by Blue Moon and Mona, they charged into the woods, following the scent of the two females

Mielikki and Annabelle looked up, hearing the drumming of paws against the forest floor. The Whippet snarled in annoyance.

"Idiots…" she grumbled. "Never send a male to do a woman's job." Kintora squirmed against her grip.

"Let go of me!" she cried. "Let me go!"

"Shut up, brat." Mielikki turned to Annabelle. "I'll stay behind. You take the kid." Mielikki tossed Kintora to Annabelle, who dragged the squirming puppy off. Mielikki then turned to face the approaching dogs. Emerging from the foliage first was Mona. She skidded to a stop, flashing her fangs at the Whippet.

"You…" Mona stalked closer to Mielikki. "Where's Kintora?" Mielikki simply stood there in silence, glaring daggers at the Akita. Mona growled impatiently. "I said, where is she, dammit?" Still no answer. "Fine...if you won't talk...I'll just track her scent until I find her."

"No. You won't." Mielikki suddenly darted forward with the same speed she used to kill Snow, her paw reaching out. Mona had barely any time to dodge. She cried out in pain as her thigh was cut, her blood spilling onto the dirt. Mielikki refused to give her any chance to recover, however. She bounced off a tree and was flying towards Mona again. Again, Mona could barely dodge. This time, she was hit on the back. Mona staggered a bit.

 _Come on,_ Mona, she thought. _You can't give up this easily. But her claws...they're unlike any I've ever felt before...and she's much faster than me. How can I beat her?_

Mona fell to the floor, trying to put less pressure on her wounded leg. Mielikki watched her from a tree branch.

"What a shame," the Whippet commented. "You have determination, which I can respect. However, such determination interferes with my mission, and for that, you must die. Farewell."

Mielikki attacked, her claws aiming right for Mona's head. As Mona watched her death come closer and closer, time seemed to slow down for a brief moment, allowing Mona to fully take in what was happening. Mielikki was approaching her, one paw outstretched...one paw unprotected. Mona's eyes widened as she realized what she had to do. She jumped, maw agape. She felt Mielikki's paw enter her mouth, and she bit down, hard. Mielikki was taken aback; had her technique really been cancelled out by a simple wild dog? Mona grunted, flinging Mielikki into the forest. The Whippet screamed as she slammed into a far off tree, before falling to the ground, stunned. Blue Moon and the City Dogs passed her, some of them stopping to stare at her curiously.

"This is that crazy lady that snatched Kintora," one of them said. "Could Mona have defeated her?"

"This way!" another cried, following Mona's scent. "Mona's been wounded!"

Blue Moon and the City Dogs found the clearing Mona was resting in.

"Mona!" shouted Blue Moon. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," said Mona. "Kintora's still gone. Find her."

While Blue Moon stayed to look after Mona, the others followed the tracks of the Beagle. They could hear the complaints of Kintora as they got closer and closer.

"I said, let go!" Kintora snapped, biting Annabelle's foreleg. The Beagle hissed irritatedly.

"Annoyin' little brat...quit strugglin' or I'll-YIPE!"

Kintora headbutted Annabelle, slipping out of her grip and darting up a tree. She glared down at Annabelle.

"You're really tryin' my patience, kid," Annabelle said, approaching the tree. "You'd better get down here before I come up there and beat the hell outta ya."

"You want me down?" Kintora replied, her eyes glowing. "I'll come down alright...AHH!"

Kintora leapt from the tree, spinning as she approached the Beagle. Annabelle's eyes widened.

"What the hell…?" she whispered. She then howled in pain as Kintora's Battouga sliced off part of her tail. Kintora landed behind her, crouched in a fighting stance, in case the Beagle tried to fight. Annabelle turned to her slowly, a murderous look on her face.

"Damn you, kid…" she spat. "You're lucky my orders are to keep ya alive…" She then smiled evilly. "Then again...when we get you back to the lab...heheh...you're going to wish you were dead."

"Don't talk to me about that crap." Kintora flashed her fangs challengingly. "I don't care what you guys are trying to do. Just leave me and my pack alone before I kill every one of you."

"I can't do that." Annabelle crept closer to Kintora. "We lab dogs never give up on a mission. Even if it means beatin' you into the ground." Her nose then twitched; the scent of the City Dogs was growing stronger. While Annabelle could hold her own in a one-on-one fight, fighting multiple, large dogs was not her strong suit. And since her comrades weren't around, she was forced to retreat, but not without one last, "This ain't over."

Kintora looked after where Annabelle at on. She was admittedly a bit nervous at the thought of this "lab". What would they do to her there? Why did they want her? She couldn't be sure...but what she did know what that she couldn't go there. She had to go home, and she wouldn't let anyone get in the way of that.

"Kintora!"

The City Dogs arrived, surrounding the puppy. Their tails wagged when they saw that she was unharmed.

"We're so happy you're ok!" one of them yipped.

"Where's Blue Moon and Mona?" asked Kintora.

"They're back in that other clearing," a dog explained. "Mona got hurt while fighting that Whippet, so the old man stayed with her. Don't worry," he added, seeing Kintora's concern. "She won." Kintora was quiet for a moment.

"We need to get out of here," she murmured. "Those dogs are gonna come after us again. We need to get as much distance between us and them. We'll get Blue Moon and Mona and leave."

"Yes," replied the pack.

* * *

"You IDIOTS!"

YELP!

YIPE!

WHINE!

Mielikki stood, fuming, before her comrades, who were now licking the fresh wounds their leader had given them. It had been an hour or so since the failed capture of Kintora, and after Mielikki had come to and reunited with her team, she had every intent on punishing them.

"I had her," said Mielikki. "She was in my grip. We could've returned to our Master and have been done with this mission. But no, you three had to ruin everything, especially you two!" She glared daggers at Gunner and E-Town. "Men...you're all nothing but miserable fools. You talk big game, but when it's time to prove yourselves, you're no better than sniveling infants!"

The two males begged for forgiveness as Mielikki unleashed her godlike wrath upon them, ripping and tearing at them madly. Alarmed, Annabelle went to tug at her leg.

"Miss Mielikki, please," she began. "Have mercy on the poor souls…" Mielikki paused, glancing back at her female comrade. Then, with a snarl, she backed off, leaving the males to try and ignore the pain of their wounds.

"Hmph…" the Whippet grunted. "If I didn't need you fools, I would've killed you all myself...Come on...we have to follow that puppy. No matter where she goes, we will retrieve her and follow the Master's orders." With that, Mielikki turned and rushed off. Gunner and E-Town limped after her. Annabelle padded alongside them.

"You two alright?" she asked softly. Gunner refused to reply, only staring ahead with a face of stone. E-Town, on the other hand, flashed her a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for the concern," he murmured. "But there's no need to worry about us. We deserved what we got."

"You couldn't have known those dogs were so strong, though," argued the Beagle.

"Hush now," said E-Town. "If Mielikki hears you saying that, your tail won't be the only thing you'll have lost today."

Annabelle was tempted to say something, but, she knew E-Town was right. With Mielikki, it was better to stay silent and remain intact rather than speak up and be ripped to shreds. She glared up angrily. That damn puppy...Annabelle swore she'd get her revenge if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

"Lab dogs, ya say?" Blue Moon said after Kintora decided to speak up about what Annabelle had said to her. Kintora nodded.

"Yeah...she said they'd take me to a "lab"...what did she mean by that, Blue Moon?"

"Hmm…" the old male grunted. "I've heard of these lab dogs...they're all over the world, goin' around killin' or retrievin' whatever it is the humans tell them to. Those humans are what's called scientists, and they spend every day tryin' to study the world and make it better."

"But why do they want me? I mean, I'm pretty and all, but what would they do with me?"

"My guess is…" He glanced at her stripes. "They think those stripes of yours are...odd. You're a one-of-a-kind, kid, but that might not be as good as you think. Because of those stripes, the humans might think something's wrong with ya. You could be sick...a danger to life on Earth."

"But I'm not!" Kintora exclaimed. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Maybe, but humans are curious creatures. They want to know for sure, and to do that...well...I won't go into detail. I don't want ya havin' nightmares tonight." Kintora swallowed hard, and despite her attempts to control herself, her legs were shaking. Noticing this, Blue Moon licked her head soothingly. "Don't worry, kiddo. We're not lettin' that happen to ya. We'll all protect ya, no matter what."

As much as Kintora wanted to say that she was an Ohu dog who didn't need protection, she felt a sort of comfort knowing she had dogs willing to back her up. She smiled at the old Dane.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _-Japan-_

Whish!

Whoosh!

Suzumebachi and his ten "kumanobi" leapt from the tree to tree, the scent of dog heavy in their noses. They completed the journey to Fatugo Pass in a little over a day, thanks to their ninja speed. Now it was time to take Gajou and wipe out any Ohu soldier left behind by Weed and the other Boss Dogs. Suzumebachi perched in one tree, holding out his paw.

" **Stop,"** he commanded. His kumanobi obeyed, gazing out at the stronghold before them. " **Look there...the dogs are protecting the stronghold. About 100 of them, it seems. We'll spread out, surrounding the stronghold, and then we'll attack. It shouldn't take too long. Now go."  
**  
" **Yes, sir,"** said his men, as they followed his command. Soon, the 10 bears were spread along the forest's edge, ready to strike.

In Gajou, Tesshin picked up his head from the floor of the healing den, gasping. Beside him, his comrade, Toshimitsu, looked over at him.

"Tesshin?" he began. "What's the matter?"

"Can you sense that?" he asked. "It's... _them_ …" Toshimitsu's eyes widened in horror.

"Cross!" cried Tesshin. Not two seconds later, the white Saluki appeared at the den's entrance.

"What's the matter, Tesshin, dear?" asked the old female.

"Cross, I need you to go get the Veterans. Have them get the soldiers ready to fight. I-I know it sounds crazy, but I can sense that our enemy's come to Gajou. If we don't act now…"

Tesshin was cut off by the screams of dogs. It was too late; the bears were already upon them. Tesshin tried to get up, only for Cross to hold him down.

"No, dear, you have to rest," Cross told him. "You're still weak from the ambush and your journey back. If you go out there now, you'll only be killed, and I refuse to let that happen to you. Please, trust in your comrades." Reluctantly, Tesshin lied back down. Cross looked at Toshimitsu. "I must go out to see what's going on. Please, don't let Tesshin leave."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Toshimitsu as Cross rushed off. Cross exited Gajou and immediately scrunched her nose at the strong scent of dog blood. She looked out over the battlefield, seeing the ten kumanobi attacking the Ohu. She couldn't believe their speed; the kumanobi would appear suddenly, attack, and disappear not a second later. No dog could hit them in time. The dogs' numbers were quickly declining. 100 was soon 60 in the span of a few minutes.

"Cross!"

Cross looked over, seeing her husband looking around, his ears twitching and taking in every sound. Cross ran over to him.

"What's happening?" Ben demanded.

"These must be the shinobi bears Tesshin was talking about," replied the Saluki. "We're being wiped out!"

"Oi!" The nearby Kurotora yelled down at the Ohu soldiers. "You all call yourselves Ohu dogs!? Who cares how fast these bears are, don't let them get the best of you!"

"You bigger dogs, hold back," Moss, also nearby, called out. "Let the faster dogs attack first. When the bears are distracted, then you stronger dogs can take charge!"

As ordered by the Mastiff, the stronger Ohu dogs held back, while the swifter breeds began their attack. They waited until a bear was spotted, before darting towards it with incredible speed. The dogs leaped to attack...but even with their speed, the kumanobi dodged before they could be hit.

"GAH!"

"AHH!"

"GYAAH!"

Cross looked away, not wanting to see her comrades' violent deaths. It took everything in her to not charge and try to take her revenge. She looked to Ben, who seemed to looking upwards at something. Cross followed his blind gaze, and gasped when she saw many black objects flying through the air, emerging from the forest.

"Ah, so you see it, dear?" Ben said.

"Mmm," replied Cross. She squinted. "It looks like...dogs...flying through the air."

Cross spoke correctly. Indeed it was dogs soaring through the air, silently and swiftly, like arrows shot from a man's bow. They were aiming at a kumanobi, who didn't appear to notice that they were approaching. In fact, none of the bears could sense the oncoming attack. Suddenly.

 **GRUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!**

The unlucky kumanobi arched his back as it was attacked by the sharp fangs of 50 Shepherds. Together, the Shepherds performed a classic spinning move, one typically used to bring down a bear. They drilled into the kumanobi's back, no amount of shaking or thrashing from him throwing them off. They went in deeper, and blood began to spray everywhere, until finally, they tore out of the bear's chest, one of them carrying the bears heart in his maw. The kumanobi stood there in shock, before suddenly falling over, dead.

" **Kirifuseru!"** bellowed Suzumebachi. He rushed to the aid of his comrade, picking up his lifeless body. He turned to glare at the newcomer dogs. The Shepherd holding Kirifuseru's heart stared at him, silently challenging him to fight. But Suzumebachi couldn't, not while the Ohu dogs had this new, dangerous advantage. He would have to come up with a new strategy. Suzumebachi turned to his kumanobi. " **Bears, retreat to the woods. We will strike again at a later time."**

As ordered, the kumanobi vanished from the scene. Suzumebachi delivered one last glare to the dogs, before taking Kirifuseru away. A somber silence fell over Gajou. While the dogs knew they were victorious now, it was obvious that this war was far from over. Ben, Kurotora, Moss, and the other Veterans climbed down Gajou to meet the pack of Shepherds.

"Strangers," began Ben, bowing his head to them. "Thank you for coming to our aid. But I must ask, are you allies of Ohu?" The leading Shepherd threw away the heart in his maw.

"Yes," he replied. "We are."

"That voice…" Moss began. "No...it couldn't be…"

Two other Shepherds moved close to their leader, licking away the blood from his face and exposing the distinctive, M-shaped marking on his face. The Ohu dogs gasped, realizing that the brave man they thought died two years ago had really been alive: Jerome the Assassin.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

 _-Japan-_

As night fell on Fatugo Pass, a sort of tense peace had come over the Ohu army. With the bears having left the dogs in peace, the soldiers began to bury the fallen and tend to the wounded. Jerome's 49 Shepherd followers, as well as a whooping 200 extra dogs he'd summoned from the forest after the battle, helped out as best they could. The Ohu Veterans invited Jerome to join them inside Gajou to catch up. As Jerome feasted on a fawn he was given as a welcoming gift, Moss chuckled slightly.

"It really is you, eh, Jerome?" he commented.

"Yes," replied Jerome as he licked the blood from his fangs.

"But how?" asked Cross. "Weed told us your body was lost to the river."

"And if you were alive," Kurotora added. "Where've you been these past two years? Ohu could've needed you sooner."

"I apologize," said the Shepherd. "I admit, my failure to return was partially due to my own fears. During the war against Hougen, I went against Weed's orders in order to kill an enemy. While Weed finally accepted me as his soldier again just before...I disappeared...I couldn't face him again. Not while my sins were still crawling in my skin."

"So what have you been up do while you were away?" Ben asked.

"It's...a long story...one that all started after I tried to save Weed…"

* * *

 _It was two years ago Jerome had given his life to save Weed. When he heard the Ohu soldiers digging into the snow above them, Jerome let Weed go, allowing the river to carry him away. His task was done; Weed was safe. Now, all Jerome could do was die and join his fallen comrades: Noss, Robert, Rocca, Hoiler, and Kaibutsu. Jerome was certain his story had ended there._

 _But it hadn't._

 _Jerome's eyes slowly opened. He coughed roughly, the cold river water forcing itself out of his lungs. The heat of a fire hit his fur, warming his chilled body. His body felt as if it was made of lead...but he was alive. Had Weed and the others followed the current until they found him? No...he couldn't smell any of his friends, only the scent of strangers._

 _"Awake?"_

 _Jerome looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a female East European Shepherd who he assumed to be her puppy, who was carrying a rabbit in her tiny jaws._

 _"Who...are you?" Jerome asked._

 _"My name is Aftherion," the female said. "Marshal of the Army of The True Dogs. This," He nodded to the puppy. "Is my young major-in-training, Zoya."_

 _"Hello, sir." Zoya bowed, before giving Jerome the rabbit. After eying the prey for a moment, he began to eat._

 _"Thank you," he said between bites. "Where am I? Is Fatugo Pass nearby?"_

 _"Fatugo Pass?" Aftherion repeated. "Oh, no, we left that place days ago. You're in Nara now."_

 _"Nara!?" Jerome tried to get to his paws, only to feel a sharp pain shoot through his leg. With a hiss, he fell back into a lying position, breathing heavily._

 _"Be careful," said Aftherion. "Your leg's healing now that I've gotten that bullet taken out of it. You'll need to rest for a few days."_

 _"I can't do that." Jerome tried getting up again, this time, holding up his hind paw to keep from standing on it. "I have to get to Ohu, I have to see if my Leader, Weed, has won against Hougen."_

 _"Oh...that "cute" little dog," Aftherion sneered, scrunching her nose in disgust. "Don't worry. I heard that Hougen was struck down by a bolt of lightning. Ha! That miserable pup couldn't even deliver the killing blow! Yet he call himself Ohu's Leader...Pathetic, really."_

 _"Don't say that," growled the Shepherd male, his tail lashing. "Weed is a man of kindness and mercy. You'd be wise not to speak so rudely about him."_

 _"Anyway..." the East European Shepherd ran a tongue along her paw, ignoring what was just said. "Since Ohu's doing fine...you can move on to a much better army, one with real Dogs who deserve to be called soldiers. Jerome, great Assassin, I am making you my senior Major."_

 _"I can't accept that." Jerome began hobbling towards the entrance of the cave they were in. "Listen, lady, thanks for the help, but I have to go." He suddenly felt his tail being gripped tightly. Without warning, he was thrown back, his back colliding with the wall of the cave. He gasped in pain, the sharpness of the rocks poking his already bruised body. He slid to the ground, and Aftherion rested her paw on his head._

 _"Retarded fool…" she snarled. "I saved you because you're a pure East European Shepherd like me and my soldiers. But if you keep up that attitude, I'll have no problem killing you like the other weak breeds in this world."_

 _"You're wrong," Jerome growled. "Get off me, damnit!"_

 _"Shut up. You're mine now." Aftherion turned, barking at young Zoya. "Oi, brat. Gather the other soldiers so that they can meet their new Major."_

 _"Yes, ma'am!" Zoya scurried off, leaving the two adults to stare each other down. Not three minutes later, Zoya returned with 48 other puppies, ranging from two months to six. They were all East European Shepherds, like Aftherion, and it seemed they believed him to be one as well. The puppies yipped eagerly at the sight of a new face. But Aftherion was not impressed._

 _"SHUT THE HELL UP!"_

 _The puppies fell silent immediately. Aftherion cleared her throat, before pacing in front of her army._

 _"Now listen, retards," she began. "Our mission is simple. The world is full of "cute", pathetic breeds that the humans trick themselves into admiring, while we warriors get rejected, ignored, taken for granted...well, no more. I will create a new world, one where True Dogs, the East European Shepherds, live alone. All other breeds will be purged!"_

 _The puppies cheered. With their minds being so easy to manipulate, Aftherion easily poisoned their minds with such a wicked plan. Jerome stared on in disgust. Such logic was that of evil beings, and Jerome refused to take any part of it. One more, he struggled to his paw, but Aftherion glared at him. She nodded to her puppies._

 _"Control Major Jerome, little ones," she commanded. "He's a bit...confused right now."_

 _The puppies obeyed, rushing towards the wounded male. They leapt on him and sank in their teeth, using their combined strength to pull him down. Zoya got the bright idea of biting the bullet wound, which sent more pain throughout Jerome's body. Despite all of this, he couldn't strike back. These puppies were pure, like Weed, but unlike Weed, they were led away from the light of justice by this vile woman. Jerome crumbled to the cave floor, panting heavily as he glowered at Aftherion._

 _"Good, good," the female said, her tail swishing gently. "Now stand aside, all of you. I must teach this retarded fool some respect."_

 _It was at that moment, the torture started. As the days went on, Aftherion would give Jerome a daily beating to keep him in line, hoping to crush his spirit and bend him to her will. But Jerome was resilient. Weed had taught him to be more than the contract killer he once was. Weed had taught him what it truly meant to live for someone. So Jerome never gave in, no matter the pain, believing that he would escape this crazy woman. Little did he know, however, was that he bravery and defiance towards Aftherion made the puppies admire him. A dog who didn't bend to the abuse of another was a strong and powerful dog, one they were promised to become by Aftherion herself._

 _One such puppy that was inspired was a young male named Kovpak. He was a low-ranking soldier, due to being a mix between an East European Shepherd male and a beautiful Collie female. As a result, he had a very "cute" appearance, which the Marshal couldn't stand. She would beat him regularly, covering his three month old body with horrid scars, to make him tougher-looking. Kovpak was often called to watch Jerome when Aftherion left the cave, but rather than being a silent guard, he would often ask to hear of Jerome's past deeds as Weed's tactician. Jerome, seeing as there was no harm in doing so, told Kovpak of Weed, and his great leadership over Ohu. Despite what Aftherion said, Weed was a good and pure male, whose way was much holier and just than Aftherion's teachings._

 _"I don't really understand how you can listen to her," Jerome would say. "She treats you so cruelly. Weed would never do that to someone like you. He would teach you to be a fighter of peace and justice, as he has taught me."_

 _In time, Kovpak's mind drifted from Aftherion's teachings to Jerome's talk of Weed's righteousness. With the pup on his side, Jerome created a plan. Kovpak would act as a diversion for Aftherion, while Jerome made his way out of her territory. Once the puppy lost Aftherion, he'd rejoin Jerome and they'd leave together. Needless to say, Aftherion was not one to get rid of easily._

 _The crazy woman was relentless, even sending her other puppy soldiers after Kovpak. With the puppies' speed, they captured him. Jerome waited at his and Kovpak's meeting place, but the young one never showed up. Upon sneaking back, Jerome was horrified to see Aftherion flaying the poor child with a thin branch as an example to her puppies. Jerome realized what he had to do. He jumped out at Aftherion, attacking her in a moment of rage. He didn't care if he died, as long as the children were no longer tainted by the ramblings of this unjust female. The battle was rough, but Jerome won, knocking Aftherion into a rushing river that sent her away, never to be seen again. Jerome declared himself the new Marshal of the puppy army, and that he would train them to be great men and women that would serve under Weed. Kovpak became one of his strongest dogs, and as the months passed, he, as well as Zoya, became his right hands._  
 _The seasons changed, and Jerome's pack of Weed Warriors grew. He gathered more dogs of various breeds, and soon had 249 dogs under his command. With these great dogs, he was ready to come to Weed's aid whenever he had the chance, and would often travel close to Fatugo Pass make quiet observations in order to ensure that Weed and his comrades were doing alright._

 _Then, two days after Weed and the majority of the Ohu army left Fatugo Pass, the bears launched their attack._

* * *

"And here we are now…" Jerome concluded. "Basically, I was doing everything I could to serve Weed until it was time for my return."

"You're a true male," said Ben.

"Thank you," Jerome replied. "But I cannot accept such a title before our new enemy has been defeated, and peace has returned to Japan. Those bears that attacked us will return, and I will do all I can to help you great warriors defeat them."

"We appreciate it, young'un," Moss said. He faced his comrades. "We're not gonna give up until we've killed those damn bears!"

"We are Ohu soldiers!" roared Kurotora triumphantly.

The fearless howls of the Ohu soldiers soon echoed throughout Fatugo Pass, letting all creatures know that Ohu wouldn't give up without a fight.

* * *

The days passed on, and while Ohu planned for their next battle, and Weed ventured to his wife's old home, both Sunatora and Gurē were reaching the ends of their journeys as well.

In the Kouga territory, Akame and Gurē walked silently together amid the serene forest. Above, dark figures leapt from branch to branch with alarming speed. Gurē could barely catch a glimpse of them as he looked up. His nose quivered; there was no smell to pick up, either. These dogs were true masters of ninjutsu, and the future of the Kouga clan.

"Wow…" whispered Gurē, spotting a figure dart out of a tree, catching a bird in mid-flight before landing on another branch. An uneasy feeling rumbled in his belly. Could he ever be as impressive as those dogs? He looked to Akame. Well, if the old ganin believed in him, then maybe he could have a little hope. Maybe.

"Here we are," said Akame suddenly, pulling back the foliage and revealing a pleasant-looking village. In the trees, there were teahouses once belonging to the human shinobi. Gurē could just barely see dogs resting in them. In the center of the village was an old hut. Hobbling out of the hut was a very old male that looked very similar to Tesshin. Akame dipped his head politely in greeting to his old enemy-turned-friend.

"Chōrō," the Kishu began. "Hello again, after all these years."

"Ah, old Akame," replied the old Kouga dog. "Hello to you, too." He glanced at the puppy at Akame's side. "And who is this? Another recruit for the Kouga?"

"Indeed. This is Gurē, Weed's oldest son."

"Oho, Weed's boy!" The Elder bent over to get a better look at Gurē, who was feeling a bit overwhelmed by being in the presence of another great ganin leader. "Haha, so that little fellow settle down, I see. Well, I can tell that this one shares his father's nobility and determination. He'll make an excellent ganin."

"Good, good," said Akame. "I will need to return to Ohu soon; I sense my services may be needed there. But I will return in a moon's time to check on you, Gurē."

"I won't let you down, Mr. Akame," Gurē promised, although he felt it would be much easier said than done. The Elder watched him curiously, sensing some negative energy emitting from the child, but he kept silent. Instead he looked up at something behind Gurē and Akame, and nodded. Almost instantly, a young male mixed breed appeared at the Elder's side.

"Yes, Master?" said the ganin with a bow.

"Teru, my finest pupil," the Elder began. "In these past two years, my body has been failing me. I fear not many months are left in my lifetime. I believe that now, you must train our new generation, starting with this young man."

"Me?" Teru's bow grew deeper, as did his respect for the old male. "I...I will do what you say without failure, Master."

"Very good. Now, take him and begin his training immediately."

"Yes, sir." Teru looked down at Gurē. "Gurē, is it? Follow me."

Teru began to walk off into the forest, Gurē following close behind. Before he went into the bushes, he stopped to give Akame one final look. The old Kishu nodded to him, his eyes shimmering with the belief that Gurē would become a true ganin and do his entire family and army proud. Gurē vanished into the woods, fighting the urge to cry.

* * *

While this was happening, Musashi and Sunatora had finally made it onto the shores of Shikoku, after braving the journey across the sea. Despite the roughness of the crashing waves, Sunatora swam excellently, and as he stepped onto the sandy beach, he looked back at Musashi eagerly.

"Are we close?" he asked, causing the old Tosa to let out a soft laugh.

"Yes, yes," he replied, shaking water from his pelt. "Not too long now, and we'll have made it to Tosa, where your teacher will be." The two males walked together, Musashi leading the way to Tosa. "Perhaps it's time I tell you a bit more about him. His name is Nemawashi. You may remember his father from the old stories Moss tells you: Benizakura!"

Sunatora's heart nearly exploded with excitement. The son of his idol would be teaching him? What a deal!

"D0es that mean I'll get to flip over bulls and stuff?" asked the Kai mix.

"Perhaps, with time," replied Musashi. "Mind you, there's more to being a fighting dog than flipping bulls. You must have strength, courage, and honor. No dog can call themselves a true fighting dog without those three things."

"I have all of those!" Sunatora chirped. Musashi chuckled again.

"Maybe, but I'm not the one you have to convince. Nemawashi is a stern male, one who takes no nonsense. You must show him that you're worthy of his, and his father's, strength."

Sunatora nodded, feeling an extra burst of determination run through him. As the journey reached its end, Sunatora continued to ask about Nemawashi, learning about Musashi's past with him. Musashi explained that Nemawashi was the product of Benizakura's owner wanting a new "Strongest Dog In The World" after Benizakura's passing. Nemawashi was the largest and strongest male to be sired by Benizakura, and as such, took it upon himself to train the newest generation of fighters. Musashi had never fought him himself, but had he won against Tōbē, he would've seen Nemawashi's true strength.

"Fortunately, I can see it through you, Sunatora. You will have to fight him many times during your training. You will experiance the true power that was Benizakura."

It wasn't long before they made it to a town. This town was the birthplace of Nemawashi, and his name was known by dogs and humans alike. Musashi and Sunatora walked along, searching for the dog fighting ring, where humans would bring their Tosas to fight. But none could ever beat Nemawashi, the town's champion.

"Ah, there," said Musashi, seeing the ring. In it were a bunch of Tosas, all around Sunatora's age, and pacing in front of them was a massive Tosa with a dark brown pelt that was littered with scars from past fights. Around his neck was a gold-plated, steel chain that acted as a collar. Sunatora's neck ached a bit just looking at it. Musashi and Sunatora approached the ring, hearing the booming voice of the large male get louder and louder.

"My sons," he began. "You are the future generation of my father's bloodline. Benizakura was a great male, a true Champion and a god among Tosas. And as his grandsons, you have no choice but to follow in his greatness. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, father," said the young males. Musashi looked down at Sunatora.

"Wait here a moment," he said. "I'll talk to him."

Sunatora nodded, and with that, Musashi hopped over the side of the ring. Now alone, Sunatora noticed that there was something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a Tosa puppy, also six months old, sitting in the stands where the humans would sit. But unlike the others, it was a female with a black pelt, unlike the more common brown pelts of the Tosa breed. On her chest was a white patch of fur that was, strangely, shaped like a cherry blossom flower. She stared at the other puppies with a grumpy expression on her face. Curious, Sunatora climbed up to her.

"Hello," he greeted. The Tosa pup glanced at him in surprise.

"Oh, hi," she replied. "Are you a stray? I've never seen you around here before."

"No, I came here with Mr. Musashi."

"Mr. Musashi?" The Tosa's eyes brightened in excitement, and she looked to see the old male talking to her father. "I haven't seen him since I was a baby. How do you know him?"

"He works under my father, Weed," said Sunatora, his chest swelling with pride. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're Sunatora?"

"Yeah! How'd you know my name?"

"Everyone knows about the Ohu Leader's children, and you sure look like a Sand Tiger to me. I'm Tai Haku. Our grandfathers worked together."

"Yeah…" Sunatora squirmed a little. "Mr. Musashi's going to have your father teach me to fight like him, so I can be as cool as Benizakura was." Tai Haku looked disappointed at that.

"Lucky…" she muttered. Sunatora tilted his head. "Daddy wouldn't let me join his class, only my brothers. Now some random puppy that's not his gets to join? Don't get me wrong," she added quickly. "If Weed sent you here, you must be really strong, but…"

"It's ok," reassured the young Kai mix. "Hey, I'm gonna be staying here in Tosa for a while...maybe after my lessons, we can practice together. I can teach you what your Dad teaches me." He winked. "Then you can be a Real Dog too." Tai Haku's eyes twinkled gratefully.

"You'd really do that? We barely know each other."

"Hey, if our grandfathers were comrades, we can be comrades, too, and comrades help each other." The Tosa pup smiled.

"Ha...you really are Weed's son…"

"Tai Haku!"

There was a heavy thud, and the stands shook from the tremendous force. Towering over the puppies was Nemawashi, whose fearsome stare burned into Sunatora's wide-eyed gaze. Sunatora felt his blood run cold, a sense of panic he'd only felt that night Kintora was captured filling his body. He wanted to look away, but he found himself trapped, staring into the warrior male's eyes.

"What are you doing next to my daughter, brat?" Nemawashi hissed. Tai Haku stared up at her father, unimpressed.

"Hold on," Musashi's voice rang out. Nemawashi turned to see his old friend looking up at him. "That's the boy I wanted you to train: Weed's son, Sunatora."

"Him?" Nemawashi eyed Sunatora. "He's no Tosa. He could never handle our power."

"He has the blood of great men in his vains," Musashi argued. "I watched his father, a mere Akita, cut off the head of an all-powerful Demon Bear in one blow. He has that man's power inside him. Please, my friend...train him."

"Hmph…" the younger Tosa huffed. "Fine...I'll train this boy." He stared down at Sunatora. "But know this, runt. You will not be treated differently because of your bearhound lineage. You will live like a Tosa, and I don't want to hear a single complaint. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Sunatora replied, his determination slowly returning. He didn't care how scary Nemawashi was. His destiny was to become as strong as Benizakura, and no one, not even the son of the Cherry Blossom could get in the way of that. Nemawashi snorted at the eager glow in the pup's eyes. Sooner or later, the Tosa would crush the determination right out of him. Kai dogs, Akitas, Kishus...none of them were fit to be true fighting dogs, not like the great Tosa. But Nemawashi wouldn't deny the child his teachings. After all, watching him try could sure as hell be entertaining. Nemawashi began walking down to the bottom of the stands, Sunatora following behind. He shared a glance with Tai Haku, who mouthed to him:

"Good luck."

"Thanks," Sunatora mouthed back.

Nemawashi jumped back into the fighting ring, and turned back to watch Sunatora squeeze through the bars. The other puppies stared at him with the same hostility as their father, some whispering about him. But Sunatora didn't care, this was his chance to become a legend. Even when a puppy stuck out a paw to trip him, he fell on his face with dignity, knowing that he'd overcome every obstacle, and surpass even the great Benizakura himself. Tai Haku stood at the ring's bars, Musashi at her side, worrying and hoping that everything would be ok.

"Hehe, lookie there," a Tosa puppy said. "Little sister's worried about her new boyfriend!"

"Shut up!" Tai Haku snapped as her brothers laughed, a warm feeling forming under her cheek fur. A long, hard stare from Nemawashi silenced the joking males almost immediately.

"Tosas," Nemawashi said. "...And mutt…" There were quiet snickers. "...Let's get down to business."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

 _-Tosa-_

"Da-a-a-d, we're tired!"

"We don't wanna go jogging! It's too early!"

"Why couldn't we get breakfast, first!?"

"Shut up and run, you pathetic lot. I swear, you're acting like a bunch of females."

Nemawashi, followed by his seven sons, ran through the dark, silent neighborhood. It was the wee hours of the morning; the stars still twinkled in the sky, and the humans were still fast asleep. It was an old tradition for Nemawashi to wake up early for training, and now that his sons had come of age to train alongside him, they'd have to join his tradition, no matter how much they complained about it.

The Tosas soon arrived at the fighting ring. Sunatora was there,fast asleep in the ring's center. Hopping over the wall, Nemawashi towered over him and raised a paw.

"Up," he grumbled as he brought his paw down, smacking the pup and forcing him awake. Sunatora scrambled to his paws, holding back a wince; his body still ached from yesterday's training.

"Good morning, Mr. Nemawashi," he greeted with a wide smile. The old male snorted.

"Wipe that stupid look off your face, mutt," Nemawashi spat. "We're going for a morning jog and you're joining us. Try to keep up." With that, he turned and left the ring, running off with his sons close behind. Sunatora was quick to join them. Because the Tosa breed was notoriously bulky, the Kai mix had no problem catching up to them. In fact, due to his smaller, Kai-like body, he was able to pass Nemawashi's sons, and run alongside Nemawashi himself.

"Look at that guy…" one of the Tosa pups whispered bitterly. "Running with Dad like he's better than us…"

"Someone should show him his place," sneered another. One of the puppies picked up his pace, so that he was running beside Sunatora. Without warning, he rammed into Sunatora, knocking him over with a grunt. The other puppies wasted no time running over Sunatora's fallen body, some of them even giggling sadistically at his yelps of pain. They left him lying there, running after their father, who hadn't even bothered to turn around to see what the commotion was. Sunatora was left alone to struggle to his paws, his eyes burning as tears threatened to form.

"Here, I'll help you up." Sunatora felt Tai Haku's head push against his side, helping him stand. His tail wagged gratefully.

"Thanks," he said, turning to face the female. "Were you following us?"

Tai Haku nodded. "Even though Daddy tells me I shouldn't, I always join his morning jogs. I was just catching up to you guys when I saw...that..." She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about them. I swear if I'd gotten here sooner..." She trailed off. They both knew that, on her own, she would've been no match for her seven brothers, but that didn't stop Sunatora from appreciating the kind words. Now that Musashi had gone back to Ohu, the female Tosa was his only form of support, and there was no way he was going to pass up an opportunity for a new friend. He nodded after Nemawashi and his sons.

"Come on, we can catch up together," said Sunatora. With a nod, Tai Haku ran with him. A few minutes passed of silent running, before Sunatora glanced at his companion. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Tai Haku echoed. "For what?"

"For last night. I really wanted to teach you something, but I was so tired and sore; I just collapsed where I was."

"It's ok," said Tai Haku with a smile. "Daddy can be pretty rough. But once you get used to the training, then you can teach me. You don't have to force yourself to do anything."

"Heh, thanks...but I still feel bad…"

"Don't sweat it. Hey, maybe we can fight a little during your lunch break. You won't be as sore then."

"Sounds good to me." A large grin formed on his face. They continued on for a while, until, finally, the other Tosas came into view. Excitedly, Sunatora ran a bit faster to try and catch up to them.

"Hold on," said Tai Haku cautiously. "They'll only beat you up again if you get too close. You should just stay back here."  
"But I'll never show them I can be a real fighting dog if I can't even run with them. I have to catch up!"

"You don't have to prove anything to them," the Tosa female argued, but it was too late. Sunatora had already caught up, and was running alongside her brothers. They glared at him.

"What are you doing?" one of them growled. "No one said you could run next to us, loser." Sunatora ignored it, focusing on his running, but the Tosa male wouldn't give up so easily. "Hey, listen when I'm talkin' to you!"

"Gah!" Sunatora yelped as the other pup lunged at him, grasping his neck with his powerful Tosa jaws. He pinned Sunatora to the ground. The other puppies surrounded the two, laughing at the Kai mix as he tried to escape. Nemawashi stopped, turning to watch. Sunatora looked to him hopefully, silently begging him to help, but, to his dismay, the old Tosa made no move to do so.

"Get off him!"

Tai Haku suddenly appeared, knocking her brother away with a butt to his side. She stood over Sunatora, growling defensively.

"What are you doing here, Tai?" one of the pups asked. "You should be back at home."

"Yeah," another pup agreed. "Let your boyfriend fight his own battles and beat it." Tai Haku felt warm under her fur.

"Shut up..." she muttered, before turning to her father. "Why are you letting them get away with this, Daddy?"

"If the mutt can't take on another dog, he can never be a real fighting dog," said Nemawashi plainly. "Go home, girl."

"No," the female snapped. "I won't let any of you gang up on this poor kid."

"It's ok, Tai," said Sunatora. Tai Haku looked down at him, and he smiled reassuringly at her. "If I have to fight, I'll do it." Tai Haku was about to protest, when she looked at his eyes. An emotion shined within them, one of passion, determination, and bravery...It spoke to her;it told her to trust him…She backed away, allowing him to get up. With a thankful nod to the female, Sunatora faced his attacker. "If you wanna fight me, then I'll take you on."

"Heh, you talk big," the Tosa pup began. "For a weak, little mutt." He turned to Nemawashi. "I won't disappoint you, Dad."

"You'd better not, Haradachi," the old male grumbled. He then spoke to all of his sons. "We'll end our run for today…" He paused, rolling his eyes as they began to cheer. "...And head back to the fighting ring to settle this." Tai Haku stared at Nemwashi disapprovingly, but the old Tosa wasn't swayed. Nemawashi started to head back in the direction they came from, his sons following close behind. Sunatora and Tai Haku were left alone. The young female glanced at her friend.

"Are you sure you want to do this…?" she asked softly. "All they want to do is hurt you…"  
"I know," Sunatora replied. "That's why I've got to fight, to show them I'm not afraid of them. Then, they won't want to hurt me." They were both silent for a moment, before Sunatora continued. "I'll be ok, I promise." He flashed her a smile and a wink. "Ohu dogs don't let themselves get beaten easily." Tai Haku felt a tug at the corner of her lips.

"Well...I'll be rooting for you," she promised. They smiled at one another. "C'mon...we should catch up."

* * *

 _Ok, Suna...deep breaths...you can do this…  
_

Sunatora stood at his corner of the ring, trying his hardest to tune out the mocking and jeering from Nemawashi's other sons. Before him, Haradachi stood, licking his chops eagerly.

"You're going down, mutt," he growled.

"May the best fighter win," replied Sunatora politely, which caused Haradachi to growl. He'd beat that "goody-two-shoes" shtick out of him. Sunatora glanced over at Tai Haku, who was sitting beside her father outside of the ring. She mouthed to him, "good luck", to which he nodded. Nemawashi began to speak.

"Are you both ready?" he barked.

"Yes, Dad!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Begin."

Both males darted towards each other, meeting in the center of the ring. Haradachi lunged, plowing into Sunatora. His forelegs wrapped around the Kai mix's neck, and he began to pull himself over his body. It was the classic move of the Tosa, to assert dominance over your opponent by forcing them beneath you. Sunatora struggled to escape, but Haradachi's natural strength as a Tosa was far too much for him. It was no different than yesterday's training. Outside of the ring, Nemawashi nodded approvingly.

 _C'mon...you can do this..._ thought Tai Haku, biting her lip.

Sunatora gasped for breath as Haradachi began to press his weight down on him. The Tosa pup chuckled sinisterly, bringing his muzzle to Sunatora's ear.

"Giving up already?" he snarled. "Tch, what a weakling. I thought you'd at least last a bit longer."

"I..I won't give up…" Sunatora choked. "I'm an Ohu dog! I can't...I…" Sunatora's eyes began to close. It felt as if Haradachi was actively trying to suffocate him...Outside the ring, Tai Haku was preparing to jump inside and intervene.

"Stop!" she cried out. "Stop, you're gonna kill him!" Nemawashi held her down with his heavy paw.

"Just sit still and be quiet."

"Suna!" Tai Haku cried out. "Don't give up! Please!"

"T-Tai…" Sunatora whispered. Everything was starting to go black…

"Don't give up, Sunatora."

The Kai mix's eyes snapped open. Who was that? He had never heard such a voice before. It wasn't Nemwashi's, and it was far too deep to be Tai Haku's. But it reminded him of what he had came for, and who he was: a true Ohu soldier. With his newfound inspiration, he tucked in his hind paws, and suddenly kicked Haradachi hard in the gut. The Tosa let out a high-pitched "YIPE!", before slipping off Sunatora, wrapping his forepaws over his stomach. Sunatora muttered a soft apology as he got to his paws, backing up a safe distance away. Nemwashi's other sons booed Sunatora, but Tai Haku's tail wagged excitedly.

"Good…" It was that mysterious voice again. "Keep going. Win this fight."

"Get up!" Nemawashi snapped at his fallen son. "Be a man, damnit! Don't you dare let that mutt beat you!"

Despite his pain, Haradachi did as commanded, staggering to his paws.

"I-I'm not gonna-ugh-let you down, Dad," he declared, wincing at the pain. Sunatora tilted his head as he watched the Tosa pup stagger. He stepped towards him.

"Are you ok?" he asked, only for Haradachi to snap at him.

"Don't start with that friendly crap," he growled.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright…" murmured Sunatora.

"SHUT UP!" Haradachi launched himself at the Kai, maw agape, fangs flashing in the light of the rising sun. Sunatora dodged with a frightened yelp. The Tosa pup, unable to stop himself, ended up crashing his head into the wooden wall of the fighting ring. He fell to the ground, motionless. Everyone was quiet. Sunatora took one cautious step towards him.

"Haradachi?" he called out. Haradachi slowly got to his paws. He turned to Sunatora, breathing heavily. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead. His eyes were a blank white, burning radiantly with one, violent emotion: pure rage. Roaring in anger, Haradachi charged, his mindless fury making him appear more like a stampeding bull than a puppy.

Wait…

No...Sunatora had to be seeing things…Coming towards him wasn't Haradachi...but instead...an actual, raging bull. And not only that...there was a crowd of humans that had suddenly appeared, surrounding the ring, cheering so loudly that it hurt Sunatora's ears. Nemawashi and the other puppies had vanished.

"Wha…?" gasped Sunatora.

"You know what you must do."

The voice...it sounded as if it was coming from behind him. Sunatora dared to glance back. What he saw took his breath away. A great Tosa as large as, if not bigger than, Nemawashi stood there triumphantly, the aura of a true soldier glowing around him. His face was scarred, and his ears had been completely ripped off. Around his neck was a golden collar, a trophy from his past victories. Sunatora couldn't believe his eyes. The dog standing there was none other than Benizakura. The holy male of legend stared down at the pup, giving him a single, silent nod.

Sunatora's eyes narrowed, and he returned the gesture. Turning to face the bull, he leapt forward, swerving to avoid its horns and catching it by the neck. With a grunt, he yanked it off of its hooves. It let out a bellow as it was flipped over Sunatora's head, and slammed down onto its back.

Everything went silent.

Sunatora's eyes opened, the pup not even realizing that he had closed them. The crowd of humans was gone, replaced by a baffled Nemawashi and his puppies. Lying on his back before him wasn't a bull, but instead, Haradachi, who stared up at him in disbelief.

"Suna!" Tai Haku's cry broke the silence. Sunatora turned to see the female climb into the ring, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his neck. "You did it! That was amazing! How'd you do that?"

Sunatora didn't answer for a moment, catching his breath. He wasn't exactly sure what it was that happened, but whatever it was, it was quite the rush.

"I...have no idea..." he panted. "Guess I...just got lucky…hehe…"

"No…" Sunatora and Tai Haku looked to see Haradachi struggling to his paws. "No….no! I want a rematch!"

"Silence."

Everyone flinched at Nemawashi's sudden growl. The old Tosa entered the ring, slowly approaching his fallen son. His eyes were full of contempt and disgust.

"You and I need to have a talk," he said, his voice dangerously low. Haradachi swallowed hard. "The rest of you," Nemawashi turned to face his other sons. "Leave. Come back back here after you've been fed by your humans." Out of the corner of his eye, Sunatora could see Tai Haku lower her head, a sad look in her eyes.

"Tai?" he said to her.

"C'mon, Suna…" she began, turning. "You can share breakfast with me."

"But what about Haradachi?" Sunatora looked at the quivering male. His ears fell back. "I hope I didn't get him in trouble…"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Tai Haku said.

"He...He's not gonna...hurt him, is he?"

"No, no," replied the Tosa female quickly. "Daddy doesn't hit any of us. He's just gonna...give him a little pep talk, y'know?"

Sunatora wasn't so sure he liked the sound of that, but when he turned to look at Tai Haku, she gave him a begging look, one that told him to just let it go, for his sake. With one last look at Haradachi, he followed Tai Haku out of the ring.

"I have never been more disappointed in you than I am now," Nemawashi began after everyone else had gone. Haradachi lowered his head.

"D-Dad, I'm...I'm sorry-"

"Apologizing doesn't fix anything," the old male interrupted. The puppy flinched at his father's snapping jaws. "You allowed an Ohu mutt to beat you, to humiliate the Tosa breed. You pathetic whelp...And to think, the strongest male in the world was your grandfather. You are an insult to his name."  
Haradachi bowed his head, breathing heavily, trying to hold back tears. Nemawashi snorted.

"What's this? You're going to cry like a female? Very well. Cry. Show me how much of an embarrassment you really are."

"I won't cry…" Haradachi choked, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I won't...I…" It was then the puppy broke down, crying, shamefully, before his father. With a careless scoff, Nemawashi left him alone. He hadn't the patience for a sniffling pup. He didn't want puppies, he wanted strong, unfeeling warriors who never lost. It was what his father deserved, and he wouldn't stand for anything less. He paused, his mind wandering to Sunatora.

"Gin…"he said to himself. "I was going to forget all this. I was going to forget what you did...But you just had to send your mutt of a grandson here." Nemawashi snarled. "Well, he shall have to pay for your crimes. And I will make him pay dearly."

* * *

"Tai! Come here, girl!"

Tai Haku rushed out of her doghouse, sprinting across the backyard of her humans' house, and hopping onto the porch, tail wagging. Her owner, a young woman named Akatsuki, smiled down at her, before setting down two bowls full of kibble and fresh, clean water. With a gentle pat on her head, the woman headed back inside her home. Tai Haku waited for a moment, before leaning over the edge of the porch.

"Come on out, Sunatora," she called. "My human's gone."

Sunatora crawled out from under the porch, and joined her. His nose quivered at the scent of the kibble. He couldn't recognize the flavor, but whatever it was, it smelled absolutely mouth watering.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's kibble," explained Tai Haku. "Humans make it for us Pet Dogs to eat. It's not a freshly-killed rabbit or anything, but it's pretty good. Try some."

Sunatora eagerly obliged, scarfing down some kibble.

"Mmm!" His tail wagged. "This tastes great!"

"Mmm-hmm," agreed Tai Haku, smiling. "It's lamb-flavored. Can't get that out in the wild. Hey!" She nudged Sunatora away; in the second that she had been talking, Sunatora had already eaten half of the entire bowl of kibble. She gave him a playful glare, to which Sunatora rubbed the back of his head with a paw.

"Sorry," apologized Sunatora. "It was just too good."

"Hmph. Well...lamb-flavored kibble is pretty tasty, so, I'll give you a pass this time." They shared a laugh, before Tai Haku finished off the rest of the kibble.

Sunatora lounged on the porch, watching as the fence posts around the backyard turn from tan to orange as the sun's light fell on them. His mind wandered back to the fight...back to Benizakura. What had happened back there, he wondered. Had the old fighter come to aid him in his training? In so, why? He was no Tosa; the only ties he had to the male was that his grandfather was allies with him. Surely one of his own grandsons would do better with his guidance? Still...that flip had felt so invigorating. Was this his true power? Sunatora wasn't entirely sure, but if his idol truly was on his side, he promised not to fail him. He glanced back at Tai Haku. He smiled; he wouldn't fail her either.


	14. Chapter 13

_-Kouga Territory-_

* * *

"Whoa...I can't believe it...it really is him…"

"Oi, Shirogane! Don't get too close! You might wake him up!"

"Buzz off, Katsuko. I just wanna get a closer look."

"You know, Daddy's not gonna like it if were messing with his student. Hey! What are you doing!? Don't wake him!"

"Oh, lighten up; I just wanna ask if he'd do a Battouga for us."

Gurē's eyes fluttered open, a grunt escaping his lips as he felt a small paw poking away at his face. As his vision cleared, he could make out two puppies standing before him, one a male and the other a female, both looking much younger than himself. Seeing that he was awake, the puppies stepped back, gasping in surprise. Gurē tilted his head. How curious; they both looked an awful lot like Teru…

"Yo…" the puppy who woke him, Shirogane, began. "Y-You're Gurē, right? S-Son of Weed?"

"Aw, someone shy?" teased Katsuko, causing Shirogane to shoot her a nasty glare. Gurē couldn't help but chuckle; the young male reminded him of Kintora almost…

"Yeah, that's me," he replied. "Who...are you two?"

"I'm Shirogane," said the male. Huh...that name sounded familiar… "Or Shiro, for short. And this is my older sister, Frogface."

"Katsuko!" Katsuko snapped, to which Shirogane stuck out his tongue at her.

"Aha…" Gurē grinned sheepishly. "You probably shouldn't make fun of your sister like that. After all, one day…" His smile fell slightly. "...You could lose her."

"Lose her?" echoed Shirogane, scoffing. "Katsuko's always on my tail. The day I lose her is the day boars learn to fly." Katsuko's cheeky grin seemed to confirm this. Gurē laughed again, sitting up.

"Er...shouldn't you both be back with your mother? She might get worried if she sees you've ran off."

"Eh, no worries," the younger male shrugged. "Seeing Weed's son is way more important."

"Ha….er...I'm, uh, flattered, really…" the grey male nibbled his flank to hide the embarrassment on his face. "But I'm not really all that special-"

"What are you talking about!?" Gurē was taken aback by the sudden outburst. "You're Weed's son! You could take on Demon Bears or Hellhounds if you wanted to. You can do the...the...the Battouga!" The youngster's eyes glistened as he said the name of that famous attack. "Ah! That reminds me! Could you, maybe, do us a favor and show us a real life Battouga?" Gurē's ears fell back.

"Me? Do a Battouga?" Gurē glanced down at his paws. "I-I don't think now's really the time for-"

"Aw, come on…" begged Shirogane. "Please?" Gurē hesitated. Shirogane decided to pull out his ultimate weapon: the puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Gurē had to admit...those glistening eyes were rather adorable, but he was still uncertain.

"He's gonna do that all day," Katsuko suddenly spoke up. "You might as well say yes." Gurē sighed.

"I'll...I'll give it a try, alright?" he said. "Now, let's-"

He was drowned out by Shirogane's sudden, loud cheering. Gurē winced, seeing dogs startled awake by the noise out of the corner of his eye.

"Let's, uh, take it outside, huh?" he said, ushering the puppies forward with his paw. Making it to the entrance of the Kouga House, Gurē pushed it open and they all slipped outside. The air was warm and wet from a storm earlier that morning, the first of many during this season. The three walked together through the empty courtyard, climbing down the stairs and heading into the woods. Shirogane padded alongside Gurē, his eyes, eager and full of wonder, never once leaving the older pup.

"So, whatcha gonna Battouga?" he asked. "A rabbit? A fox? Oh, maybe a bear!"

"Er, not quite. I was thinking we'd try something a bit more on the...nonliving side." Gurē's gaze wandered towards the trees. "Like those branches."

"Pssh, lame. Anyone can take out a branch."

"Fine, how about..." Gurē looked around. His gaze fell on a cluster of stones. "A rock?"

"A big rock?"

"Well, if we can find one-"

"Then let's go!" Without warning, Shirogane sprinted off to look for the rock. Gurē's ear flicked, hearing a sigh from Katsuko.

"Sorry he's such a pest," she yipped.

"Haha, it's fine," Gurē reassured. "I'm used to it. Let's just hurry before Mr. Teru comes looking for me."

Following after Shirogane, Gurē and Katsuko had eventually found him on top of a colossal boulder, smiling down at them.

"Took you guys long enough," he barked. "This rock looks big and Battouga-able."

"I see. Well then, come down from there. I wouldn't want you getting hurt-Oh!" It seemed Shirogane thought ahead, and had slid down on Gurē's head before he could even finish speaking. Gurē glanced up at him mild annoyance, but found that he couldn't be entirely upset with the pup. He looked as if he was having fun.

"Hehe…" chuckled Gurē. "Alright, alright, off you go." Gurē tipped his muzzle upwards, sending the puppy sliding gently down his back with a cheerful "Whee!" With both pups safely out of the way, Gurē faced the boulder, taking a deep breath.

 _Ok...you can do this…_

Gurē crouched, hackles raised, claws sinking into the earth. His breathing was slow and heavy.

 _Don't mess this up...it's just one Battouga. You're Weed's son; this is second nature to you._

He darted forward, his heart pounding against his ribcage. He could hear Shirogane cheering him on from the sidelines, but he couldn't focus on exactly what he was saying. With a powerful kick from his hind legs, Gurē was airborne, soaring towards the rock.

You can do this...you can do this...you can...you...

Something was wrong. His lungs...they felt like...they were closing up. A bead of sweat trickled down his head, and his vision...Gurē blinked rapidly, but no matter how hard he tried, the boulder wouldn't stop moving.

 _I...I can't…_.Gurē's eyes widened in a sickening realization. _I can't do it._

"GYAH!"

The pain-filled yelp escaped Gurē's lips as he collided, head-first, with the boulder. He slid down the boulder's side, landing unceremoniously on his back. Katsuko and Shirogane both gasped, rushing to Gurē's aid.

"Gurē!" Shirogane exclaimed. "A-Are you ok!?" Both pushed pushed against Gurē's side, trying to help him up.

"Don't," Gurē began, getting to his paws and backing away. He rubbed at his sore forehead. "I-I'm fine, really…" Gurē's voice quivered as he spoke, and his eyes were glossy. It took all of his willpower not to let even a single tear fall. Despite his words, however, the sibling duo didn't seem convinced.

"What happened, Gurē?" asked Shirogane. "Why'd you crash like that?"

"I...well...I, uh…" Gurē's eyes fell to his paws. Katsuko and Shirogane shared a glance. "I...I guess I was just too tired still. I…" The grey male let out a sigh. "I'm sorry...I know you really wanted to see a Battouga, but…"

"...Heh...hey, it's ok," said Shirogane, although Gurē could hear some disappointment in his voice. "There's always next time, right?"

"Yeah...right."

There was a moment of silence, before Gurē cleared his throat. "Er...we should head back."

There were no objections, and quietly, the trio made their way back to the Kouga House. As they emerged from the surrounding flora, a she-mutt was just exiting the hut. Upon seeing Shirogane and Katsuko, she paused.

"There you both are!" she exclaimed. Shirogane swallowed, and quickly hid behind Katsuko and Gurē. The female looked up into the trees. "Don't leave, honey; they've come back." She approached, a look of anger on her face. "What were you two thinking wandering off like that?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Katsuko began quickly. "Shiro ran off, and I knew you would be mad I just let him go-"

"That's not true!" Shirogane suddenly shouted, shooting his sister a nasty look. "You said it would be fine if we hurried back, and I didn't hear you say anything about Gurē taking us out!"

"Because YOU," Katsuko shoved her nose in Shirogane's face. "Always run off before anyone can-"

"That's enough."

Everyone was quiet as Teru appeared, leaping down from the trees above. Unlike his mate, he didn't look angry, merely disappointed, and it filled the two young mutts with more guilt than anger ever could. He glanced over at Gurē.

"Gurē, I'm grateful you were out there with them; I'd rather they be with you than alone. But I must ask you not to wander away from the camp without an adult. Wild boars tend to intrude in the Kouga territory, and…" He took a slow, deep breath. "I could never forgive myself if one of them got ahold of any of you." Gurē's ears fell back, and he cursed himself internally for making such a stupid decision.

"Forgive me, Mr. Teru," he murmured, bowing his head.

"It's alright," said Teru. "You didn't know, so I'll let you off with a warning. As for you two…" He stared at his children. "Your mother and I have told you not to leave Kouga House many times, especially you, Shirogane. I'm afraid I have no choice but to punish the both of you." The siblings whined, and Gurē couldn't help but feel somewhat alarmed. Neither he nor his siblings had ever been threatened with a punishment before; the concept alone sent shivers down his spine. He stepped forward.

"Please," he said. "Don't punish them. I'm the one who took them out." But Teru shook his head.

"They must learn not to break the rules, Gurē." The ganin faced his little ones, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm...Well, Chōrō's been needing looking after these days. Let's say you two go to him and pick the fleas and ticks out of his fur every afternoon for about...three weeks."

""Three weeks"!?" the pups cried.

"Shall I make it four?"

"...No…" both puppies murmured.

"Then it's settled." Teru turned to his mate. "Shall you take the little ones back to the nursery, Constance?"

"Of course," replied Constance. She nodded to her children. "Come along, you two." Gurē watched quietly as Constance turned and walked off, Katsuko and Shirogane slowly following behind, their heads low.

"Come on, Gurē," Teru said, walking back into the woods. Side by side, they meandered down the forest trail. The older male glanced over at his student out of the corner of his eye; Gurē was staring ahead, looking deep in thought. He let out a soft laugh. "You'll understand when you have your own kids." His sudden statement caused Gurē to jump.

"H-Huh?" asked Gurē.

"Look, Gurē, I know you're Weed's son, and people like to be lenient with the children of important people. But sometimes that isn't such a good thing." Gurē found himself thinking of Kintora; Teru certainly wasn't wrong. "You can't be your puppy's friend. You must teach them right and wrong, or else they'll grow up to be terrible people...if they don't get themselves killed first."

"I understand," said Gurē. "Being a father sounds hard…"

"It can be. And there are a lot of males who don't deserve the title…" Gurē noticed a distant look in Teru's eyes. "But that's why we have to be what those males couldn't be. For the next generation's sake."

 _What a male_ , Gurē thought.

"But I will not bother someone so young with this kind of talk," the ganin continued. He stopped, looking up at the trees. "Let's focus on your lesson. I was impressed by your speed and agility during our run yesterday. A ganin needs to be swift with every move he makes. However...a ganin's place is up above. We shall test that same speed and agility up there." He pointed his nose towards the trees.

Gurē's heart pounded; a sickening feeling of dread began to take over his body. After that embarrassing failure at a Battouga, could he really do something like this? Teru believed in him...everyone believed in him...surely that meant something, right? Perhaps he had just been tired when performing the Battouga. Time had passed and Gurē was feeling more alert now; he could do this. At least...he hoped so.

* * *

Gurē's breathing was quick and sporadic as he leapt from branch to branch. He stared ahead at the seemingly endless trail of trees, not daring to look down at the ground below. His ear twitched; he could barely hear the older male, even though he was supposed to be traveling nearby. Gurē heated up; if this were a real battle, he'd be dead already with all the noise he was making.

 _Calm down, Gurē, he snapped at himself. You're getting all worked up over nothing-_

"Gyah!" he cried, hanging on for dear life on the branch he had almost missed. Quickly, he climbed onto it, his teeth chattering at the thought of nearly falling to his death.

"Are you alright?" he heard Teru call out to him.

"I-I'm fine!" The ganin stopped on a branch just up ahead, glancing back at Gurē over his shoulder.

"Stay focused," he said. "Don't let anything distract you. If you get distracted, you miss the next jump. If you miss the next jump, it's all over."

"I...I understand, sir."

"Just a minor slip-up," Teru said. "Happens to everybody. C'mon." Teru headed off again. Gurē sighed.

 _Just keep it together...You're an Ohu soldier...a bearhound...you have to do this._

But the more Gurē kept telling himself that, the more the doubt grew within him. Trying to push it aside, he followed after Teru. Things were quiet for a while; every so often Teru would have Gurē try jumping to a tree at an angle or jumping onto a higher branch from a lower one. Aside from a few slip-ups, Gurē seemed to have been handling himself rather well.

"You're doing a great job," Teru commented. He then flashed the pup a smile. "But I'd expect nothing less from the son of-"

"Thank you, sir," interrupted Gurē quickly. Teru blinked. That was...odd.

"...Alright, let's break for now. I'll let you hunt for some breakfast. Be sure not to wander far from this area. If you need me, just call me."

* * *

A pheasant pecked and scratched at the wet forest floor, searching for something to eat now that the rain had stopped. It sauntered about in the open, unaware that it was being watched. Gurē was hidden in the bushes, licking his chops as he crept closer. He took another step, then another...until finally, he pounced. The pheasant hadn't even a second to react before Gurē's jaws clamped around its neck, snuffing out its life instantly.

Picking the pheasant up, Gurē walked back in the direction he had came from, following Teru's scent. As he walked, however, he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. Nothing there…

 _Don't be so paranoid, Gurē..._ Gurē continued walking. _Nothing out there but prey animals...just birds, rabbits…_ His nose began to twitch as he picked up a certain scent in particular. His heart skipped a beat. _Boar…_

The pheasant fell to the ground. Gurē turned, his eyes shifting frantically. The fur on his spine stood on end, and his tail fell between his legs. He had heard stories of boars back in Fatugo Pass. During his father's journey to find allies against Hougen, a boar named Sancho had attacked his group. The Battouga had killed him, but...Gurē couldn't do a Battouga. And how humiliating would it be for the pup everyone praised for being Weed's son to be calling for help? Gurē shook his head; he'd just get away from the scent quickly and quietly. For all he knew, the boar was minding its own business just like he was doing. Gurē took his kill and walked on, hoping that the scent would die away...but to his dismay, the scent only got stronger. Why was it getting closer? Gurē picked up his pace. He could now hear hooves against the dirt, crushing leaves and twigs. Finally, Gurē skidded to a stop, turning in the direction of the boar's scent.

"Go away," he snapped. "Unless you want a ganin to kill you, leave me alone."

"Eheheh…" A monster of a boar suddenly emerged from the undergrowth. It's brown fur was wild and untamed, making him appear much larger than he was. His eyes glowed a ominous red, and terrifyingly long fangs jutted out of its maw. "Don't worry, little brat; Matcho and I will make quick work of you and be on our way."

Just then, a shadow fell over Gurē, causing the puppy's blood to run cold. Another boar, equally as huge and terrifying, towered over him, licking his chops.

"Lookie there, Butcho…" the second boar, Matcho, grunted. "An Akita pup...just like the brat who killed Sancho two years ago."

Gurē gasped. Sancho...? These boars...if they lost their brother to his father...then they would surely want their revenge. Gurē tried to take a fighting stance.

"B-Back off," he said, trying his hardest to calm down. "I-I'm warning you…"

"Hehehehe...that's cute, kid..." Butcho said, stepping closer. Gurē backed up, only to bump into the second boar's leg. "But enough talking. It's time I enjoyed that tender flesh of yours." He then let out a blood-curdling roar, lunging at Gurē.

"MR. TERU!"

* * *

 _-Fatugo Pass-_

* * *

Suzumebachi was pacing near the forest's edge, his single eye staring hard at Gajou and the dogs surrounding it. A deep growl emitted from the back of his throat. They had been so close...the Ohu dogs had nearly been wiped out, but then...that damned Shepherd...Suzumebachi's claws raked the ground as he thought of the bastard.

" **Suzumebachi…"**

The one-eyed bear glanced over his shoulder, seeing his comrade, who was named Unarimasu, standing there.

" **What are we waiting for?"** he asked. " **We had nearly finished the job. Master Chukabuto will not be pleased if we dawdle with this mission."**

" **You think I don't know that?"** Suzumebachi sighed, his gaze returning to Gajou. " **But you saw what those dogs did to Kirifuseru…"** Both bears glanced deeper into the woods. A large grave had be buried for their fallen comrade. The rest of the kumanobi sat and laid around it, sobbing quietly. Seeing it only caused more anger to swell within Suzumebachi's body. " **They slaughtered him, and he could do nothing, even with all his training. And I recognize that Shepherd Dog from the gossip that went around two years ago. The dogs call him Jerome the Assassin. He was trained to be a killer, and now, he has an army that can kill us kumanobi easily if we aren't careful. I must think of a new plan.** "

" **Perhaps we could strike at night?"** suggested Unarimasu. Suzumebachi shook his head.

" **That's too obvious; a fellow assassin would know such a tactic all too well."**

 _Rrrrr…_

Suzumebachi's ear flicked; a storm was approaching the Pass.

" **It's the rain season,"** the bear continued. " **A heavy storm's coming, and quickly. The rain will mask our scent and will make it much harder for the dogs to see. They'll be helpless against us, even Jerome and his dogs."** Unarimasu stared at his comrade in admiration.

" **You are brilliant, Suzumebachi."**

" **Don't flatter me just yet. For now, we must wait and avoid the patrols they're sending in."**

" **In that case,"** Unarimasu turned and prepared to walk off. **"I shall leave you to your thoughts, my comrade."** He lumbered away as Suzumebachi started to watch the stronghold again.

" **Oi."** he suddenly called, causing Unarumasu to pause. " **Pass this on to the others: when we launch our attack, none of you are you go after Jerome. He is mine."** He ran his tongue along his sharp fangs. " **I will rip that mutt to pieces with my own claws."**

* * *

 _-Kouga Territory-_

* * *

Gurē rolled to the side, just narrowly avoiding Butcho's fangs. Matcho squealed as Butcho accidentally bit him.

"Idiot!" Matcho lashed out at his brother with a hoof. "Bite the brat, not me!"

Gurē rushed to the nearest tree, but the boar brothers were after him quickly. He climbed up the trunk, but felt his heart stop as one of them gripped his tail with his teeth.

"No, no, no!" Gurē's claws dug into the wood of the tree, but the boar was just too strong. He yanked the puppy off with ease, and his brother took Gurē's neck in his maw.

"Now, brother!" Butcho bellowed. "Rip the brat's head off!"

All of a sudden, Matcho was bashed over the head with a large tree branch.

"Ack!"

The boar staggered, blood trickling down his head from the gash that had formed. Butcho dropped Gurē in surprise.

"M-Matcho!" he cried, before glaring at his brother's attacker. It was Teru. The ganin in question did a backflip away from the downed Matcho, ready to strike again. Gurē rushed to his side quickly.

"You…" the ganin growled. "I remember you...both of you."

"And you…" Butcho replied gruffly, stepping towards him. "You were there when that little, striped bastard killed Sancho…"

"You have no business here," Teru said, gripping his weapon tightly. "Leave now before I finish what Weed started."

Butcho glanced back at his brother, who had now recovered from the sudden attack. He then gave Teru a sneer.

"When there's tender, juicy puppies involved, it's always our business." Gurē felt a shiver run down his spine. The boars stepped closer, snorting hot mist from their nostrils.

"Gurē," Teru began. "Go into the trees. They won't get you up there."

"B-But what about you?" Gurē stuttered.

"These boars don't scare me. Go on."

"You're not going anywhere, kid," snarled Butcho. He attacked, aiming for Gurē, but Teru threw himself between them, lunging forward and whacking him in the mouth with the branch.

"Argh!" Butcho staggered back and spat out blood. But Teru wasn't done; with his ganin speed, he attacked again and again, driving Butcho back with hit after hit. But as Teru did this, Matcho was slinking his way around towards Gurē. The pup couldn't move, and could only stand there in horror as the fearsome creature grew closer and closer...

 _C'mon, c'mon…thought Gurē. Move...move...mo…_ Gurē's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head, and he fell over, unconscious. Grinning a sick, hungry grin, Matcho opened his salivating maw, preparing to take the pup's life. But just then…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The scream echoed through the woods, followed by bone-chilling silence. Butcho and Teru stopped their fight, looking over. Butcho's jaw fell, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"B-Brother…!?"

Matcho stood there, gasping and choking as a katana impaled his neck. His blood ran down the silver blade, pooling onto the forest floor. Desperately, he tried to free himself, but it was no use. Finally, he collapsed, letting out his final breath. Jumping down from the trees was was a large, brown Afghan Hound with a saya strapped to her back, and iron claws attached to the toes of her forepaws. He had a bold, yet beautiful presence, standing over her kill with an almost dangerous sense of regality. Butcho felt himself begin to shiver at the mere sight of her, while Teru stared in awe.

"Panchi…" he whispered.

Panchi pulled her blade from the boar's throat, her golden eyes staring daggers into Butcho's soul.

"If you wish to see tomorrow," she began. "I suggest you leave." Butcho didn't need to be told twice, and had turned and fled back into the woods with a panicked squeal. Panchi wiped her katana clean in the grass and set it into her saya before going to Teru, immediately checking him over.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice now soft and gentle.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Teru assured her. "Thank you...I'm glad you got here when you did…" He glanced over at Gurē. "I had told him to leave, but...he could've been killed had you not showed up." Panchi looked at Gurē, her head tilting curiously. As if reading her mind, Teru spoke again. "That's my student, Gurē. He's Weed's oldest boy."

"Poor dear…" Panchi approached the unconscious pup, gently nudging him. "Must've been scared half to death…"

"Yeah…" Teru picked Gurē up, flinging him onto his back, while Panchi found Gurē's pheasant. "Ah, I just realized...welcome back, miss. It's been months since you were here last. The others will be excited to see you."

"Ha, indeed, especially your little rascals." Teru couldn't help but smile at that.

"We'll have to talk more about that later," he said. "Right now...Gurē needs to rest. He's had quite the day so far…"

With a nod, Panchi followed Teru back in the direction of the Kouga Village. Teru glanced back at Gurē, letting out a soft sigh. One day, he'd be a fearless ganin; he knew it. But today...was not that day.


End file.
